Prevent wheat spoilage, store all grain in warehouses: CM

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to prevent wheat spoilage by ensuring all grain is stored securely in warehouses, rather than leaving them in the open.

The state govt has operationalized mobile procurement centres that function even on Sundays and public holidays, said an official.

Officials from the food and civil supplies department have been actively reaching out to farmers across villages, including during festivals like Mahavir Jayanti, to ensure uninterrupted procurement processes.

These initiatives underscore the govt’s dedication to supporting farmers by safeguarding their produce and facilitating efficient procurement, irrespective of external challenges.

As on April 10, 3,67,875 farmers have registered for wheat procurement, with wheat purchased through 5,784 centres. So far, 1.43709 lakh metric tonnes of wheat have been procured from 27,388 farmers, the state govt said.

Notably, over 7,000 new farmers sold their wheat at govt centres within just two days, reflecting growing trust in the administration’s transparent and farmer-friendly approach.

To facilitate this engagement, the administration conducted village-to-village outreach before the harvest season, encouraging farmers to utilize govt procurement centres for their wheat sales. Additionally, the introduction of mobile procurement units has streamlined the purchasing process, bringing convenience directly to farmers’ doorsteps.

These efforts underscore the govt’s commitment to supporting farmers and ensuring efficient procurement processes.

The spokesperson said that the longstanding dominance of middlemen in wheat procurement has come to an end. For the Rabi marketing year 2025–26, the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for wheat has been fixed at Rs 2,425 per quintal, which is being directly credited to farmers’ accounts within 48 hours of procurement.

To further ease the burden on farmers, the govt is also providing an additional Rs 20 per quintal for unloading, cleaning, and sieving wheat.

The registered farmers can sell up to 100 quintals of wheat without prior verification, in what is said to have streamlined the sale process and eliminated the unnecessary delays. On the CM’s instructions, all procurement centres have also made arrangements for comfortable seating, clean drinking water, and shade.

This article has been republished from The Times of India.