UP: Potato subsidy policy to be tweaked for farmers’ benefit

The Mandi Parishad will modify its policy on potato transportation subsidy to the extent that it benefits farmers more and not traders.

The Mandi Parishad will modify its policy on potato transportation subsidy to the extent that it benefits farmers more and not traders.

The Mandi Parishad board has also cleared a proposal for giving subsidy on export of potato and mango of all varieties. “Till now, the subsidy was available to only select varieties like Taj brand of potato and Nawab brand of mango,” said an official.

The move comes in the backdrop of the opposition raising the problems of potato growers and alleging they were not getting a fair price for their produce even though the fresh crop too has arrived.

The mandi board of directors’ meeting was presided over by chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday.

At the meeting, it was pointed out that transport subsidy introduced by the government last year ended up benefiting traders instead of farmers.

The subsidy was introduced to help farmers lift potato from cold storages and sell the same in other cities and states to get a better price.

An official said, “99% of the benefit of the transport subsidy went to traders and transporters and only 1% to farmers.” “It was, therefore, decided at the meeting to launch the scheme this year in a new form so that the subsidy amount went to farmers more.”

Under the scheme launched last year, the government provided transportation subsidy at Rs 50 per quintal on the potato to be transported to a distance of over 250 km.

“Although last year’s actual bills are yet to be submitted for clearance, the Mandi Parishad may have to bear an expenditure of around Rs 60 crore as transport subsidy,” said the official.