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

New Delhi: The Centre has approved the procurement of 20 lakh tonnes of potatoes in Uttar Pradesh at a market intervention price of Rs 6,500.90 per tonne, which will cost the exchequer Rs 203.15 crore, as part of a broader push to protect farmers from distress sales across multiple states.

In a separate decision, the Union Agriculture Ministry raised the procurement limit for gram in Andhra Pradesh to 1.13 lakh tonnes, up from the existing cap of 94,500 tonnes.

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

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

The Karnataka extension is expected to allow a larger number of tur farmers to access remunerative prices and avoid being forced into distress sales, the ministry said.

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The decisions were taken amid recurring concerns over farmers receiving prices below the MSP in spot markets, particularly during peak harvest periods when supply surges.

The ministry said the moves were aimed at "ensuring farmers receive a fair price and are never compelled to sell their crops at distressingly low prices".