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The Uttar Pradesh government has started the online registration of farmers for paddy procurement for availing minimum support price (MSP) for their produce in the upcoming procurement season starting October 1.
It has been mandatory for farmers to get registered to get MSP. The process that started on July 1 will continue till August 31 and farmers can register on the Food and Civil Supplies Department’s website ‘fcs.up.gov.in’ or mobile app ‘UP Kisan Mitra’. The government has also issued a toll free helpline (18001800150) for farmers.
The move with a special focus on farmers comes keeping in mind the Lok Sabha elections next year.
A government spokesperson said farmers can also contact the district food marketing officer, regional marketing officer at the sub-divisional level or marketing inspector at the block level for help.
For the 2023-24 season, Rs 2,183 per is the MSP for common paddy per quintal and Rs 2,203 per quintal for grade-A paddy.
According to the guidelines, the procurement will take place region-wise. For instance, purchase of
the produce in western Uttar Pradesh and Bundelkhand comprising Hardoi, Sitapur, Lakhimpur, Bareilly, Moradabad, Meerut, Saharanpur, Agra, Aligarh and Jhansi districts will take place from October 1 to January 31, 2024.
The produce from the farmers of eastern UP consisting Lucknow, Rae Bareli and Unnao, Chitrakoot, Kanpur, Ayodhya, Devipatan, Basti, Gorakhpur, Azamgarh, Varanasi, Mirzapur and Prayagraj districts will be bought from November 1 till February 29 next year.
Officials said that nearly 4,000 purchasing centres of the Food and Civil Supplies Department and other purchasing agencies will be set up and they will remain open from 9 am to 5 pm.
Also, farmers can learn more about the registration, verification of land area, purchase and MSP payments through the ‘UP Kisan Mitra’ mobile app.
The guidelines also specify that the payment to farmers will be made through to their Aadhaar-linked bank accounts directly.
Moreover, this year, paddy will be procured through electronic point of purchase (e-pop) machines after Aadhaar authentication. Moreover, the farmers who have registered for wheat and paddy purchase, would not be required to re-register for the Kharif marketing year 2023-24.
Last month, in a bid to facilitate distribution of ‘fortified rice’ to over 15 crore beneficiaries of the Rice Fortification Scheme, covered under the National Food Security Act across UP, the state government began allotting paddy exclusively to rice mills that have installed blenders.
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