UP sets target to procure 5.82 lakh metric tonnes of ‘Shree Anna’ in 3 months

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 7 (ANI): In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intention to promote ‘Shree Anna’ (coarse grains) across the state, the Uttar Pradesh government has raised its procurement target for ‘Shree Anna’ to 5.82 lakh metric tonnes during a three-month period spanning from October to December 2023.

This procurement plan includes the purchase of up to 5 lakh metric tons of millet, 30,000 tonnes of Jowar (hybrid), 50,000 tonnes of maize, and 2000 tonnes of Kodo.

Registration of farmers for the sale of food grains has started on the department’s website, and so far, 929 farmers have registered. It is noteworthy that last year, over 0.44 lakh metric tonnes of millet were purchased from 8,532 farmers across UP.

The procurement process for Shree Anna (coarse grains) is being carried out in the state. In this sequence, it is proposed to purchase maize from 29 maize-producing districts, including Bulandshahr, Hapur, Saharanpur, Badaun, Aligarh, Etah, Kasganj, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Hardoi, Unnao, Sitapur, Kanpur Nagar, Kanpur Dehat, Kannauj, Farrukhabad, Etawah, Auraiya, Gonda, Bahraich, Shravasti, Ballia, Jaunpur, Deoria, Mirzapur, Sonbhadra, Lakhimpur Kheri, Azamgarh and Lalitpur.

Furthermore, for the procurement of millet, purchases will be made from 40 main millet-producing districts across UP. These districts encompass Bulandshahr, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Bareilly, Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Moradabad, Rampur, Sambhal, Amroha, Aligarh, Etah, Kasganj, Hathras, Agra, Mathura, Mainpuri, Firozabad, Sitapur, Hardoi, Unnao, Kanpur Nagar, Kanpur Dehat, Etawah, Auraiya, Kannauj, Farrukhabad, Varanasi, Jaunpur, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Ballia, Mirzapur, Sant Ravidas Nagar, Jalaun, Chitrakoot, Banda, Prayagraj, Kaushambi, Fatehpur, and Pratapgarh.

For the first time in UP, it is proposed to purchase Jowar in 22 key Jowar-producing districts, which include Banda, Chitrakoot, Hamirpur, Mahoba, Kanpur Nagar, Kanpur Dehat, Prayagraj, Fatehpur, Kaushambi, Pratapgarh, Jaunpur, Ghazipur, Raebareli, Sitapur, Unnao, Hardoi, Sultanpur, Amethi, Mirzapur, Jalaun, Ayodhya, and Varanasi. Additionally, the Sonbhadra district has been designated for the procurement of Kodo millet.