Centre to buy 100,000 tonnes potato from UP farmers

The Centre on Tuesday decided to purchase 100,000 tonnes of potatoes from Uttar Pradesh (UP) farmers in 2016-17 season at Rs 4,870 per tonne to arrest the sharp fall in prices.

According to a statement on Tuesday, the government will give an extra Rs 1,217.6 per tonne or an actual sum, whichever is less for overhead expenses, such as transportation charges, mandi tax, and godown charges.

A decision to procure potato in UP under market intervention scheme (MIS) has been approved by the Union agriculture ministry. The MIS will be implemented by the state agency, the statement added. Potato rates in UP, the leading producer, have crashed in the wake of bumper crop.

Going by trade data, the wholesale prices have fallen below Rs 4 per kg now as against Rs 10-12 per kg a year ago.

Earlier, the state had decided to purchase a record eight million tonnes of wheat from farmers in 2017-18 crop marketing year.