LUCKNOW The Uttar Pradesh government has proposed replacing 43-inch LED televisions with fodder-cutting machines under the Chief Minister Krishak Uphaar Yojana to make gifts distributed to farmers more useful for agriculture and allied activities.
Director, Mandi Parishad, Jitendra Pratap Singh said the changes were proposed on the recommendation of a committee that reviewed the utility of gifts distributed through lucky draws under the scheme. The LED televisions had only been introduced to the prize pool in 2023.
Under the revised structure, a three-horsepower fodder-cutting machine valued at an estimated ₹30,000 will replace the television as the second prize, with three machines allocated per division. The first prize—an eight-horsepower pumping set costing ₹55,000—will remain unchanged, with two units awarded per division. Power sprayers valued at ₹5,000 each have also been retained on the list.
The revised gift categories include a 35-horsepower tractor as the first prize, tractors below 20 horsepower in place of specified existing equipment in the second category, a 100cc motorcycle instead of equipment such as power tillers and reapers in the third category, and a solar power pack in the fourth category.
The committee also examined challenges in procuring and distributing gifts. The Mandi Parishad has been directed to revise arrangements for gifts distributed through the scheme’s half-yearly and bumper draws, keeping their practical utility in mind.
{{/usCountry}}The committee also examined challenges in procuring and distributing gifts. The Mandi Parishad has been directed to revise arrangements for gifts distributed through the scheme’s half-yearly and bumper draws, keeping their practical utility in mind.
{{/usCountry}}Separately, the council plans to distribute 4,400 plastic crates free of cost to farmers to help preserve the quality of fruits and vegetables during harvesting and transportation. Of these, 2,000 crates are earmarked for Category A mandis, 1,000 for Category B, 800 for Category C and 600 for Category D mandis. Eligible farmers will receive four crates each.
“The scholarship under the Chief Minister Krishak Chhatravritti Yojana for students graduating from agricultural universities, institutes and colleges has been increased from ₹3,000 to ₹5,000,” Singh said.
The Mukhyamantri Krishak Uphaar Yojana was introduced in 2001. It is currently being implemented under the Uttar Pradesh Agricultural Produce Market Act, 1964. Farmers selling agricultural produce at designated new mandi sites are issued coupons worth ₹5,000 on the basis of their entry slips issued and Form 6. Prizes are distributed through monthly, quarterly and half-yearly draws. Tractors, the first prize, are distributed, on the birth anniversary of former PM Chaudhary Charan Singh, often biennially.
The objective of the scheme is to encourage farmers to sell their produce to mandis within the state.