Lucknow : In a strong push for farmer-centric governance, Uttar Pradesh Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Horticulture, Agricultural Marketing, Agricultural Foreign Trade and Agricultural Exports, Dinesh Pratap Singh, conducted a review meeting with departmental officials at the State Agricultural Produce Market Board. The minister emphasized the need to ensure that all departmental schemes related to farmers’ welfare are effectively implemented on the ground.
Stressing the government’s commitment towards the farming community, Minister Singh said that farmers are the true providers of the state and their income and economic condition must be consistently improved. He instructed officials to take all necessary steps to ensure better facilities in mandis (agricultural markets), including infrastructure, services, and transparency in operations.
Highlighting achievements of the department under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the minister stated that the State Agricultural Produce Market Board has recorded a significant increase in revenue during the financial year 2024-25. Despite a reduction in mandi tax rates, the total income rose by ₹278 crore compared to the previous fiscal year, marking a 16.17% growth. The total revenue for 2024-25 reached ₹1994.50 crore, as against ₹1716.87 crore in 2023-24.
This growth, Singh added, was made possible due to the successful implementation of reforms such as the e-Mandi portal and e-Licensing system. In alignment with the Chief Minister’s vision, the processing sector has also received considerable relief with mandi tax and development cess exemptions worth approximately ₹265 crore granted to traders.
Directing officials to ensure maximum transparency in mandi operations, the minister said farmers must be guaranteed fair and timely payment for their produce. He called for immediate attention to cleanliness, drinking water, sanitation, and smooth loading-unloading arrangements in mandis.
Minister Singh also stressed on strengthening the e-Mandi system to ensure direct benefits to farmers, eliminating middlemen, and upholding the state government’s zero-tolerance policy against corruption. He directed all departments to work in coordination to make sure that farmer welfare schemes are not only conceptualized but also implemented effectively on the ground.
The review meeting was attended by Mandi Parishad Director Indra Vikram Singh, Joint Director Sachin Singh, Chief Engineer Giridhari Lal, Deputy Director Chandan Patel, and other senior officials.
