Amid farm protests seeking minimum support price (MSP), the Uttar Pradesh government has stepped up paddy procurement and farmers’ payments in the state.
In the current kharif marketing season 2023-24, the state has paid nearly Rs 11,200 crore to the farmers against paddy procurement under the MSP formula.
Against the target of 7 million tonnes (mt) this season, the state government agencies and the Food Corporation of India (FCI) have procured 5.3 mt of paddy so far, thus achieving 75 per cent of the target.
The MSP stands at Rs 2,183 and Rs 2,203 per quintal for common variety and grade-A paddy, respectively.
According to the UP food and civil supplies department, about 785,000 farmers were paid about Rs 11,200 crore directly into their bank accounts. About 1.45 million farmers registered for paddy procurement in the state.
Meanwhile, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials to ensure prompt payment to farmers and warned of strict action in case of any slackness. He reiterated his commitment to empowering farmers and creating opportunities for rural prosperity. “UP, despite constituting 11 per cent of India’s total cultivable land, contributes over 20 per cent to the country’s overall food grain production.”
UP sugar mills have additionally paid more than Rs 15,000 crore to the cane farmers. So far, the mills have crushed more than 60 mt of cane and produced 6 mt of sugar.
Of the total 120 sugar mills, private companies account for 93 units, followed by 24 cooperative sector plants, and three UP State Sugar Corporation factories.
In 2016-17, the sugarcane area in the state was 2.05 million hectares (mh), which has jumped 45 per cent to touch almost 3 mh in 2023-24.
The speedy payment of main cash crops including wheat, paddy and sugarcane is imperative for UP’s political economy, especially when the 2024 Lok Sabha polls are due in two months.
Recently, UP Sugar Industry and Cane Development Minister Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary asked officials to introduce artificial intelligence (AI) in agriculture to promote crops less prone to disease. With the help of AI, agri scientists could identify better plant varieties, forecast weather, and analyse soil data for optimum yield.
