The State Agricultural Marketing Board has benefited 1155 beneficiaries with Rs 9.56 crore under various schemes in the last six months. Under this, 299 farmers were provided Rs 9.40 crore under 'Mukhya Mantri Krishak Jeevan Kalyan Yojana', Rs 9 lakh to licensee 490 hammals and Tulavatis under Mukhya Mantri Mandi Hammal and Tulavati Sahayata Yojana and Rs 7.03 lakh to 366 farmers who sold their produce in the Mandi premises under Agriculture Marketing Award Scheme.
Taking into account the risk of payment of farmers, the Board has made arrangements of cash payment of Rs 2 lakh to farmers the same day for sale of their produce and remaining amount in case the amount exceeds through online payment the same day. The application fees for trading in more than one mandis has been reduced to Rs 1000 from Rs 10,000 and license fees has been reduced from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 20,000. The maximum limit and security deposit for the quantity of purchase of agricultural produce has also been reduced proportionately.
An incentive of Rs 514.45 crore has been provided to 2.60 lakh maize farmers as per eligibility under Flat Bhavantar Payment Scheme. From the Agriculture Research and Infrastructure Development Fund, Rs 17.70 crore grant has been provided to various projects and Rs 20 crore grant to Gau-palan and Pashudhan Samvardhan Board for protection and maintenance of cattle along with Rs 50.53 lakh grant for agricultural conventions, workshops, exhibitions etc. Under the “Jai Kisan Samriddhi Yojana” the state government is purchasing wheat from farmers at Rs 2000 per quintal, which is Rs 160 more than the official price of Rs 1840 per quintal declared by the Central government. Registered farmers have sold 2.32 lakh metric tonne onion so far under “Chief Minister’s Farmers Onion Incentive Scheme”.
According to Managing Director of the Board Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the state government has launched the “Mandi Vyapari Samman Yojana-2019” to felicitate licensee Mandi traders from this month. Arrangements have been made to provide the benefits of “Mukhya Mantri Krishak Bhojan Yojana” to registered farmers at all the procurement centres in and outside the Mandi premises under the e-procurement scheme. The benefits of the scheme are given to the licensee hammals and tulavatis working in the Mandi premises also. Health examination of 50 year old licensee hammals and tulavatis working in the Mandi committees will be conducted twice in a year.