Horticulture dept to open 10 potato procurement centres

Lucknow: The Horticultural Co-operative Marketing Federation (HOFED) will open 10 potato procurement centres, one each in different districts, to help potato farmers in the state.After minister of state (independent charge) for horticulture, agricultural marketing, agricultural foreign trade and agricultural exports Dinesh Pratap Singh, on Tuesday, directed that potato procurement centres will be established across various districts and the procurement process be initiated without delay, the centres were inaugurated in Lucknow and Farrukhabad on Tuesday itself.The procurement centre established at Indaura Bagh in Bakshi Ka Talab, Lucknow, was inaugurated by additional chief secretary, horticulture and food processing, BL Meena, and that at the Mandi Samiti, Satanpur, Farrukhabad, was inaugurated by director, horticulture, BP Ram.The entire process is being conducted under the market intervention scheme (MIS), approved by the Union ministry of agriculture and farmers welfare, which ensures direct procurement of potatoes from farmers.Procurement centres will be opened on a priority basis in districts where market prices for potatoes are low, ensuring that farmers receive a fair price for their produce.Under MIS, the market intervention price has been fixed at Rs 650.09 per quintal, with overhead expenses set at Rs 162.52 per quintal. Furthermore, the maximum limit for compensation has been capped at 25% of the total procurement cost, to be borne equally by the central and state govts.Apart from the 10 districts selected right now, similar centres will be set up in other districts in a phased manner.The minister appealed to farmers to bring their potato produce to designated procurement centres to avail themselves of the maximum benefits of the scheme.