Mandi Parishad earned approximately Rs 1862 crores in the financial year 2023-24.

Lucknow : On Tuesday, the 170th meeting of the Board of Directors of the State Agricultural Production Markets Produce concluded under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. During the meeting, the Chief Minister issued various guidelines to safeguard the interests of farmers. Key instructions and decisions are as follows:…

The efforts being made by the State Agricultural Produce Markets Board keeping in mind the interests of the farmers are commendable. Despite reducing the Mandi fee, the Mandis have made a significant contribution to revenue collection. Income rose from Rs 1553 crore in the financial year 2022-23 to approximately Rs 1862 crore in 2023-24. Additionally, around Rs 400 crore has been collected in the first quarter of the current financial year. The increase in revenue collection, even with minimal Mandi fees, is noteworthy, and these funds should be used solely for the benefit of farmers.

The Mandi exists for the farmers, who bring their crops from distant places. Therefore, it is essential to ensure their convenience and safety. Proper arrangements for cleanliness and drainage, adequate lighting, prevention of waterlogging, and provision of toilets and drinking water are crucial. Additionally, facilities such as restrooms and affordable canteens should be provided for the farmers.

There should be no encroachment within the Mandi premises, and each shop’s area should strictly adhere to designated limits. This regulation must be effectively enforced.

The system of exempting the newly established processing units from Mandi fee should be simplified. Currently, units must apply to the Divisional Commissioner within six months of establishment, who forwards it to the District Magistrate for evaluation. Simplifying this process, units should directly apply to the District Magistrate, who in turn should promptly forward it to the Mandi Committee for evaluation within seven days.

User charges on edible oils are currently imposed in the Mandi Samiti of Gorakhpur, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Baripal, and Moradabad. This practice should be abolished to benefit traders. If a trader sells edible oils worth a certain amount annually from their Mandi shop and also trades agricultural products of at least the same value, which incur Mandi fees or user charges, then they should be exempt from user charges on edible oils.

To ensure fair and transparent auctions of various departmental properties in Mandi Parishad and Mandi Samitis, an ‘e-auction’ system should be implemented instead of the ‘manual process’.

In addition to rural areas, there is a request from esteemed public representatives to construct ‘Haat-Paith’ in certain urban areas as well. In response, well-constructed Haat-Paith should be established in Nagar Panchayats, Nagar Palikas, or Municipal Corporations based on local needs. Give priority to the newly notified urban bodies. Once the Haat-Paith is established, it should be handed over to the respective Nagar Panchayat, Nagar Palika, or Nagar Nigam. The responsible urban body will then manage the operation, maintenance, cleanliness, and security of the Haat-Paith assets.

The Mandi Samiti has established hostels at the Agricultural Universities in Kumarganj (Ayodhya), Banda, and Kanpur. Currently, hostels are under construction in Kumarganj (Ayodhya) and Banda. Additionally, one hostel should be built at each of the Agricultural Universities in Meerut, Kanpur, and Banda, and the capacity of the hostel being constructed in Kumarganj (Ayodhya) should be increased from 100 to 150.

Cold rooms should be set up in the Mandis to ensure the safety of agricultural crops, allowing farmers to preserve their produce for an extended period.

Tissue culture laboratories need to be established in all four Agricultural and Technology Universities to provide quality, disease-free planting material for horticultural crops, making them globally competitive. The Mandi Parishad will arrange the necessary funds for this initiative. Furthermore, a horticulture college should be established in Raebareli, with a feasibility study conducted on this proposal.

Institutions like Upkar need to be made more organized and useful. Experts should be deployed here. Innovation should be encouraged. New research activities should be promoted. In the last 7 years, many innovations have been done by the Rajya Mandi Parishad in the interest of farmers. The utility of Mandis for agricultural marketing has increased. The state government is also running many schemes for farmer welfare. Incorporating all these topics,  the Mandi Parishad should publish a quarterly newsletter, both in print and digital formats, making it accessible to farmers.