Jaipur, Jul 18 (PTI) Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has requested the Centre to procure 50 per cent of the total production of pulses and oilseeds from farmers on the Minimum Support Price instead of the present 25 per cent, an official statement said on Saturday.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gehlot said the dessert state is facing tough economic conditions due to the coronavirus pandemic and the farmers should be provided economic support by extending full benefit of the MSP scheme, it said.

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"Therefore, the government of India should increase the target of procurement of pulses and oilseeds by 50 per cent which will be in the interest of farmers," it said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)