Govt clears UP potato buy at Rs 6,500/ton, hikes gram cap in Andhra Pradesh

New Delhi: The Center has approved the purchase of 20 lakh tonnes of potatoes in Uttar Pradesh at a market intervention price of Rs 6,500.90 per tonne, as part of a broader initiative to protect farmers from distress sales across multiple states; this will cost the exchequer Rs 203.15 billion.

In a separate decision, the Union Ministry of Agriculture increased the supply limit for gram in Andhra Pradesh to 1.13 lakh tonnes from the existing upper limit of 94,500 tonnes.

In Karnataka, the purchase window for Tur has been extended till May 15 under the Price Support Scheme (PSS), giving farmers additional time to sell their produce at MSP.

Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan approved the recommendations after a virtual meeting with state agriculture ministers and senior officials, an official statement said.

The Ministry said the Karnataka extension is expected to enable more tour farmers to access remunerative prices and avoid being forced into distress sales.

The decisions were taken amid growing concerns about farmers getting below-MSP prices in spot markets, especially during peak harvest periods when supply increases.
The ministry said the moves were aimed at “ensuring that farmers receive a fair price and never have to sell their produce at frustratingly low prices”.