With the procurement of wheat and other crops being a problem due to the onset of the coronavirus and the subsequent lockdowns, farmers have faced serious financial constraints. When the lockdowns were announced, the Rabi season was nearing its end, and it was the time when farmers got to sell their goods, especially their wheat. However, with constraints on transportation and logistics of any kind, farmers were stuck with a lot of wheat not being sold out at all.

The Uttar Pradesh government, as a solution to the predicament at hand, initiated the UP Gehu Kharid scheme, wherein farmers get a platform to sell their goods to the government at Minimum Support Prices or MSP.

The Rise of the Uttar Pradesh e-Purchasing System

Farmers who are willing to sell their crops can now register themselves by visiting the official website of the Uttar Pradesh e-purchasing portal – The UP Gehu Kharid portal. This website is created with the help of the Food and Logistics department who are also in charge of implementing this scheme.

The portal, as of now, stands functional and has been announced effective from the 15th of April 2020.

What are the Features of the e-Purchasing System?

  1. Before taking the produce to the mandis, all farmers will have to register online on the UP e-procurement portal and get a token so that when their turn comes, the produce will straight away be taken to the mandis by the government officials.
  2. The Uttar Pradesh government, for the implementation of the scheme, has set up around 5500 procurement centers across the state for wheat procurement for 2020-21. This year, there has been a target set – that of purchasing 55 lakh metric tonnes of wheat, and wheat procurement is kept at a minimum support price (MSP) of ₹1925 per quintal.
  3. The state’s farmers will take the token after their registration and then have to visit the mandi only when their allotted day and time comes on, thereby making it simpler to abide by social distancing norms which happen to be a mandate during a pandemic.
  4. The benefit of this scheme, by and large, happens to be offering a portal for farmers in Uttar Pradesh to sell their wheat crop and have money flowing in, for all the hard work they have done.

Documents Needed to Apply for the Scheme

  1. In order to avail the benefits of the scheme, the farmers have to have information regarding their lands like Khasra-Khatauni, Khasra number, and the acreage of land and wheat acreage. These details are a must and must therefore be provided to the concerned farmer.
  2. Aadhaar card
  3. Farm’s revenue records
  4. Bank account passbook
  5. Mobile number
  6. Passport size photos.

In conclusion

As the times get tougher, more schemes are introduced for the welfare of those from the poorer sects of society. With ample government intervention, over the past few months, the farmers have managed to effectively sell their produce and generate income enough to get by their days without any problems.

While this year has been all sorts of trouble, it has also shown how timely intervention by the governments can be life-saving to many.