Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath led government has taken another significant step to empower the farmers of Uttar Pradesh. This time, the state government has taken multiple steps to encourage potato farming. The Uttar Pradesh government has taken a major step to increase potato production and productivity for farmers. The state government has decided to provide a discount of ₹800 per quintal on departmental potato seed rates for the year 2025-26. This scheme is being implemented to provide quality seeds of improved varieties to farmers and increase potato production in the state.
Discount on potato seeds
Dinesh Pratap Singh, Minister of State for Horticulture, Agricultural Marketing, Agricultural Foreign Trade and Export, announced this plan during a review meeting with Horticulture Department officials. He stated that this initiative will encourage farmers to cultivate potatoes and the availability of quality seeds will increase production capacity in the state.
According to the Horticulture Minister, the current selling rates for departmental potato seeds range from ₹2,760 to ₹3,715 per quintal. Meanwhile, the average rates for private seed companies are between ₹2,500 and ₹3,500. Farmers will now receive a discount of ₹800 per quintal on all categories of departmental potato seeds. After this discount, the price of departmental potato seeds for farmers will be between ₹1,960 and ₹2,915 per quintal. The Minister clarified that research institutions and other government organizations will not be granted this discount. He directed departmental officials to ensure that this benefit reaches farmers in all districts of the state promptly and transparently.
Aim of the initiative
The Horticulture Minister stated that the Yogi government’s goal is to ensure that every farmer has access to quality seeds at affordable prices. This will increase farmers’ income and strengthen the state’s agricultural economy. Farmers can contact their respective district horticulture officers to obtain departmental potato seeds at a cash price. This will enable them to prepare seeds for future years, which will enable the expected increase in potato production in the state. The Minister also stated that the benefits of the scheme will be prioritized for small and marginal farmers. The department will ensure that the seed distribution process is completed in a timely and transparent manner.