Close on heels of making provision of over Rs 32,000 crore for farmloan waiver in the 2017-18 budget, the UP government on Tuesday announced relief for potato growers in the form of transport subsidy within the state and export to other states. The government also announced waiver of Mandi fee and cess on agriculture produce. The move will benefit potato farmers to the tune of Rs 100 crore and the shortfall in revenue on account of the waiver of Mandi fee and cess will be borne by UP Rajya Krishi Utpadan Mandi Parishad.
Making a suo motu statement in the Assembly, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that fresh measures announced by the government would benefit close to six lakh potato growers in the state. The CM said that the government would provide transport subsidy on potato for transport of the commodity within 300 km in the state. For export of potato to other states, the government will provide subsidy to the tune of Rs 50 per quintal or 25 percent of the fare, whichever was less.
Yogi said that the government has also decided to waive Mandi fee and cess imposed on potato. The waiver is 2.5 percent of the value of the potato traded in Mandi yards of UP Rajya Krishi Utpadan Mandi Parishad.
The CM said that protecting the interests of farmers topped the agenda of the state government. ``The plight of potato growers came to our notice as soon as we came to power in March. As an immediate relief measure, the government announced Minimum Support Price for potato and decided to purchase 1 lakh quintal of potato directly from farmers as per the MSP. The move did not accrue much benefit to potato farmers as most farmers had stored their produce in cold storages by then,’’said he.
Yogi said that the government has taken fresh measures to ensure that farmers got remunerative price of produce. He said that potato growers could avail benefits of Mandi fee waiver and transport subsidy till December 31 this year.