Potato glut: UP CM announces relief to growers

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today announced relief for potato growers in the form of grant on transportation charges as prices of the vegetable have fallen after bumper production in the state.
There has been bumper production of potato in the state this year as a result of which the growers are not getting proper prices for their produce, the chief minister said in the Assembly.
The UP government will provide grant in the form of transportation charges of potato growers up to 300 km within the state, he said.
"The government will provide grant at the rate of Rs 50 per quintal or 25 per cent of the actual transportation cost whichever is less," he said, adding that exemption will also be extended till December 31 on mandi (wholesale market) fees and cess.

The relief will benefit about five to six lakh farmers and put an additional burden of Rs 80 crore to Rs 100 crore which will be borne by the Mandi Parishad, he added.
The issue of potato output had figured in the House last week too.

"Potato production increased with the arrival of Yogi government in the state," Horticulture Minister Dara Singh Chauhan had said in reply to SP member Nitin Agarwal's question on potato production and storage facilities, leading to a banter in the House and even the chief minister was seen smiling.
The minister had said that in UP there were 1,708 cold storages having a capacity of 130.26 lakh MT, which can accommodate 84 per cent of the potato produced.

He said 120.29 lakh MT potato have been kept in cold storage this year.