Hry to advance govt scheme to benefit potato growers

THE BENEFITS OF THE BHAVANTAR BHARPAYEE SCHEME WAS TO ORIGINALLY COVER ONLY POTATO HARVESTED AFTER FEBRUARY 1

KARNAL : In a move to provide relief to the potato growers, the Haryana government has decided to advance the implementation of the Bhavantar Bharpayee Scheme.

Officials in the state agriculture department told the Hindustan Times that the decision was being taken to provide benefit to the potato growers, who were suffering as they were forced to sell their produce at a rate below ₹3/kg, due to absence of any minimum support price.

The Bhavantar Bharpai Scheme (the price deficit compensation scheme for vegetables) set on the lines of minimum support price-type (MSP) formula for potatoes, onions, cauliflowers and tomatoes was launched by the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Haryana last year to protect farmers from a sudden fall in prices of vegetable.

As per the scheme, the government has fixed the minimum support price for potato and tomato at ₹4/kg and cauliflower and onion at ₹5/kg.

The government would provide cash subsidy to registered farmers if the prices fall below the fixed prices.

But the scheme was being criticized by the potato growers as the benefits of the scheme were to originally cover only potato harvested after February 1. The farmers said that most of the crop was harvested in January as they get time to empty their fields of wheat.

“This proposal to advance the scheme has already been accepted by the government and the approval is likely to come in a day or two,”arjun Singh Saini, director Haryana Horticulture Department told Hindustan Times.

On the date of implementing of the scheme, he said, “We would launch it immediately after we get approval, which is likely in a day or two. But the benefits would be given to the farmers, who have already got them registered under the scheme.” He said that the state government has already allocated ₹25 crore for this scheme and if required the budget would be increased.

The government has also started the registration for onion and tomato.