Despite the second wave of COVID-19 outbreak, the Uttar Pradesh government has purchased 41.56 lakh MT of wheat so far on minimum support price from the farmers.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said repeatedly that each farmer is important to the government. “The procurement process is not limited to mere fulfillment of the prescribed procurement target. Till a single farmer is there to sell his produce, we will buy every single grain of wheat,” he has said. The wheat procurement in ongoing Rabi marketing season 2021-22 is almost double of the 24.76 lakh MT wheat procured last year. Food and Civil Supplies Commissioner Manish Chauhan said here on Wednesday that about 8,83 lakh farmers had already benefited from the ongoing procurement operations. He said on June 1, the government purchased around 1.06 lakh MT of wheat from the farmers.
“We have already made payment of Rs 6,355 crores directly into the bank accounts of farmers. This is the first time that money is directly reaching the accounts of farmers within 72 hours of purchase in UP,” Chauhan said. To ensure that farmers do not face any problem, the government has nominated seven purchasing agencies, including the Food and Supplies department, PCF, UPSS, UPPCU, SFC, Mandi Parishad and Food Corporation of India.