The government said it has approved the detailed proposal of the Uttar Pradesh government to purchase potatoes under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) specifically for the agricultural year 2025-26. | Photo credit: PTI
A day after the Union Agriculture Ministry announced the purchase of 20 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of potatoes at ₹ 6.5 per kg (₹ 6,500.9 per metric tonne) from Uttar Pradesh, where prices have fallen due to various factors including unseasonal rains, farmers on Sunday (2026) said their price was half as much as on April 19. Welcoming the decision to procure around 10% of the state’s total potato production, farmers said the Center should procure potatoes at a minimum of ₹12 per kg.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the first week of March, highlighting the plight of potato farmers. In the letter, Mr Tikait said the Center should announce at least ₹1,500 per quintal (₹15 per kg) as the support price for potatoes. He also demanded that value addition and processing industries be encouraged in the state’s potato belt.
Published – 19 Apr 2026 20:10 IST
