47 centres, MSP fixed at Rs 2,585/quintal as Agra gears up for wheat procurement

Agra: The district administration in UP's Agra district has intensified preparations for wheat procurement under the minimum support price (MSP) scheme for the rabi marketing season 2026–27, with the Centre fixing the MSP for wheat at Rs 2,585 per quintal for the current season.A comprehensive survey has projected 621.8 thousand metric tonnes of wheat production in the district. To facilitate procurement, 47 purchase centres have been approved — 12 by the food department, 34 by the Pradeshik Cooperative Federation (PCF), and one by the Food Corporation of India.Officials said that farmers will be required to register on the e-procurement portal using Aadhaar-linked mobile numbers and land details. Applications will be verified in a tiered manner: lekhpals for holdings up to one hectare, tehsildars for 1–3 hectares, sub-divisional magistrates for 3–5 hectares, and additional district magistrates for holdings above five hectares. The ADM (finance and revenue) has been appointed nodal officer for the drive. Of the 47 centres, geo-tagging has been completed for 45, and officials have been directed to expedite tagging of the remaining centres.District magistrate Aravind Mallapa Bangari directed officials to ensure basic amenities such as drinking water, shade, and sanitation at procurement centres to ease the process for farmers. He also warned against irregularities in token distribution and queue manipulation, citing complaints from previous procurement drives."We have taken note of complaints received during previous procurement drives, particularly in bajra purchase, and ordered strict action to prevent irregularities. Officials have been directed to ensure fair token distribution and warned against queue manipulation at procurement centres," he said.Meanwhile, potato farmers in Agra are facing distress with prices of potatoes remaining low this season. District secretary Puran Singh said, "Potatoes are currently selling in the market at Rs 300 to Rs 500 per quintal, far below the production cost of Rs 800–900 while cold storage charges are Rs 250 per quintal. In such a situation, if prices do not improve, farmers will be ruined. The govt should set up procurement centres at the block level and purchase potatoes."The Communist Party of India (CPI)'s Agra unit held a meeting in view of the falling prices of potatoes and demanded that the govt procure potatoes at a minimum support price of Rs 1,500 per quintal to save farmers from financial ruin.