Farmers Movement Archive

UP to ramp up wheat procurement after Budget agri push

LUCKNOW: With the Union budget lending a decisive push to the agricultural sector, the UP government is all geared up to ramp up wheat procurement in the forthcoming season, a move that could potentially accelerate BJP’s farmers outreach in the run-up to the high-stakes assembly elections due next year. The move to scale up wheat procurement comes amidst a raging stand-off between farmers’ union and the Centre over three new farm laws. Top sources in the agriculture department confirmed to TOI the department has initiated the process of putting in place mechanisms to boost wheat procurement become a major contributor to national granaries. In 2020-21 fiscal, UP procured 3.55 million tonnes of wheat, which was far below Madhya Pradesh’s 12.71 million tonnes. The national wheat procurement had touched a record-breaking 38.98 million tonnes till July last year. “The idea is to ensure financial assurance to farmers by procuring maximum possible produce under minimum support price,” the official said. Sources said, the state government plans to raise produce by around 10 to 15% in coming months. The development comes after the government managed to escalate the paddy procurement from 526 lakh quintals to 634 lakh quintals – an increase of around 20%. “Besides paddy, the state government has already performed well in procurement of pulses and groundnuts,” the official said. The proposal to wheel agriculture infrastructure funds to mandi samitis is significant as the idea was pushed by the state agriculture department and accepted in the Union budget. “This will help mandi samitis to get more funds for farm facilities,” the official said. There are 225 agricultural mandis in the state, which stand to gain with the Union budget proposal. The clause of market intervention vis-à-vis high production of vegetables also finds merit in UP’s horticulture sector. Sources said, the state government plans to put in place a mechanism to regulate prices of vegetables if they slump in wake of high production. “So that would also help vegetable growers in getting a suitable price for their produce,” the official said.

The Times of India

2021-02-02

Lucknow