Wheat procurement on minimum support price (MSP) for the 2022-23 marketing year started from Friday in Uttar Pradesh.
The government has fixed a target to procure 60 lakh metric tons of wheat this year. The Central government has fixed the minimum support price of wheat at Rs 2,015 per quintal, increasing it by Rs 40 from last year's Rs 1,975 per quintal.
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday directed the Food and Civil Supplies department to transfer the money for the procured wheat in the bank accounts of the farmers within 72 hours of procurement.
“Officers should make all the necessary arrangements for the procurement of wheat in their respective districts so that the farmers do not face any problem,” the chief minister said.
According to the Food and Civil Supplies department, till March 31, over 1,48,383 farmers have registered themselves for selling their produce on the portal of the department. A total of 4,593 wheat procurement centres have been set up across the state for the convenience of farmers and wheat procurement has commenced at 3,980 centres.
The chief minister also directed the officials to ensure timely lifting of the wheat from mandis and to make all necessary arrangements for the farmers in the mandi.
The official agencies assigned the job of procurement are Food and Civil Supplies department, UP Cooperative Federation (PCF), UP Cooperative Union Ltd (PCU), Mandi Parishad, UP Consumer Cooperative Union (UPSS), SFC.
The purchase of wheat from farmers will be done on the basis of biometric verification of farmers or their authorised representative through e-PoP at the centres.