Govt to buy 3 more crops from farmers

In a first, government will buy chana, masoor and sarson against the minimum support price

LUCKNOW: To help them get fair price of their produce, the Uttar Pradesh government will buy three crops—chana, masoor and sarson — directly from farmers against the minimum support price (MSP). Making the announcement at a press conference here on Tuesday, agriculture minister, Surya Pratap Shahi said the government would begin procurement of three crops through government’s purchase centres from April 15. Shahi claimed that never before did any government purchase these three crops from farmers.

LUCKNOW: To help them get fair price of their produce, the Uttar Pradesh government will buy three crops—chana, masoor and sarson — directly from farmers against the minimum support price (MSP).

Making the announcement at a press conference here on Tuesday, agriculture minister, Surya Pratap Shahi said the government would begin procurement of three crops through government’s purchase centres from April 15.

“We will purchase 120 MT chana for Rs 4,400 per quintal in 18 districts, 120 MT masoor for Rs 3,900 per quintal in 25 districts and 160 MT sarson for Rs 3,900 per quintal in 25 districts, he said, adding “The purchase of these crops will be made in districts where any of the three crops is sown on an area more than 5,000 hectares,” said Shahi.

Shahi claimed that never before did any government purchase these three crops from farmers. “The step will go a long way in encouraging farmers grow more and more chana, masoor and sarson decreasing their overdependence on wheat and rice and get them the right price,” he said.

He claimed the procurement this year had started very well and the money was being transferred to farmers’ bank account within 72 hours of their selling the produce to a government procurement centre.

He said the government had fixed a target of issuing soil health cards to each and every farmer by March 2019. “We are also organising workshops at all the development blocks to educate farmers how to double their income,” he said.

The minister said the government would soon sign an MoU with the International Crop Research Institute for the Semiarid Tropics to increase production of millet in UP. The year 2018, he said was being observed “Millet Year” in the country. He said the government had already made available land for a subcentre of the International Rice Research Centre, that the Cenral government wanted to set up in Varanasi.

“We have also assigned a special task to the Chandra Shekhar Azad Agriculture University asking them to conduct a study on adverse impact of pesticides on human health and crops,” Shahi said adding, “We will take corrective measures after the report is submitted.”

ON LOAN WAIVER

Shahi said as many as 35.37 lakh farmers had availed the load redemption scheme till March 31, 2018 with the government transferring more than Rs 27,000 crore to the beneficiaries’ loan accounts.

He said 7.50 lakh more farmers had given their representations registering their claim for loan waiver.

“We will verify their claims and redeem their loan accordingly,” he said adding “Any farmer who thinks he had been left out can still make the claim on department’s portal or with district agriculture officer by April 15.

› The step will encourage farmers grow more chana, masoor and sarson decreasing their overdependence on wheat and rice SP SHAHI, agriculture minister