Proposal to exempt UP’s rice export from mandi fee

Agriculture production commissioner gives presentation on comparative mandi fee on rice in Punjab, Haryana and UP. The waiver, he said, would promote export-oriented units in the state

LUCKNOW A high-level meeting chaired by agriculture minister Surya Pratap Shahi on Tuesday discussed suggestions and complaints received from farmers during seminars organized all over the state before the kharif season.

The minister said the Yogi Adityanath government was committed to protecting interests of farmers and enhancing their income through various means. (Pic for representation)

Agriculture production commissioner (APC) Manoj Kumar Singh moved a proposal for exemption on levy of 1.5% mandi fee on export of rice from the state, after giving a presentation on the comparative mandi fee on rice in Punjab, Haryana and U.P. The waiver, he said, would promote export-oriented units in the state.

Among other UP ministers attending the meeting were energy minister AK Sharma, horticulture minister Dinesh Pratap Singh, sugarcane development minister Chaudhary Laxmi Narayan and forest minister Arun Kumar Saxena, apart from many senior officers, said a government spokesman.

A decision to promote mechanisation of agriculture by fixing block-wise targets was also taken in the meeting. On farmers’ demand for availability of subsidy right at the time of purchase of seeds like applicable in case of fertilizers, additional chief secretary agriculture Devesh Chaturvedi said that the same would be done after the success of the ongoing pilot project in this regard.

The agriculture minister issued directions to the departments on several others demands raised by farmers from time to time. He asked officials to encourage farmers to go for sprinkler irrigation. The minister said the Yogi Adityanath government was committed to protecting interests of farmers and enhancing their income through various means.