Parliament Question: Agricultural Infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh

O.I.H GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5286 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 24TH MARCH, 2026 AGRICULTURAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN UTTAR PRADESH †5286. SHRI RAM SHIROMANI VERMA: Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ िष एवं िकसान क(cid:670)ाण मं(cid:361)ी be pleased to state: (a) whether a large number of farmers in the Aspirational and border districts of Uttar Pradesh particularly Shravasti and Balrampur are marginal and small farmers and face crop damage due to floods and waterlogging in the Rapti river every year; (b) if so, the details of damage caused to crops in the said districts during the last three years; (c) whether the Government has taken any special steps to facilitate timely procurement of crops at the Minimum Support Price from farmers and to increase the number of procurement centres in the said areas; (d) if so, the details thereof; (e) whether the Government is implementing any special scheme to strengthen agricultural infrastructure in these districts by setting up cold storage, warehouses, processing units and for development of rural agricultural markets; and (f) if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ िष एवं िकसान क(cid:670)ाण रा(cid:475) मं(cid:361)ी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR) (a) & (b): As informed by State Government of Uttar Pradesh, the primary causes of flooding particularly in Shravasti and Balrampur districts are the Rapti River and the hill streams originating from Nepal. The meandering nature of the Rapti River, along with its tendency for rapid fluctuations in discharge over short periods during peak discharge season is a major cause of flooding and bank erosion. The details of crop loss in the district Balrampur during the last three years are as under: Year Affected Farmers Total crop loss Relief distribution (in hectare) (in Rs.) 2022-23 84020 45067.00 261667543.00 2023-24 0 0 0 2024-25 1406 306.47 6468221.00The details of crop loss in the district Shravasti during the last three years are as under: Year Affected Farmers Total crop loss Relief distribution (in hectare) (in Rs.) 2022-23 444423 12402.6764 236802441 2023-24 1225 1061.7675 9025024 2024-25 290 231.0801 1017570 (c) & (d): As informed by the State Government of Uttar Pradesh, the procurement of wheat and paddy from farmers under the Minimum Support Price (MSP) scheme is conducted in accordance with the provisions outlined in the procurement policy issued by the Government. To ensure that farmers receive a fair price for their produce, the State Government facilitates procurement by establishing purchase centers through various designated agencies. These agencies include the Food Department, the State Agricultural Produce Market Committee (Mandi Parishad), the Uttar Pradesh Cooperative Federation (PCF), the Uttar Pradesh Cooperative Union (UPPCU), the Uttar Pradesh Consumer Cooperative Federation (UPSS), the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED), the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India (NCCF), and the Food Corporation of India (FCI). Purchase centers are strategically established at locations characterized by a robust inflow of produce, strong procurement potential, and adequate storage capacity, thereby ensuring that farmers do not have to travel long distances to sell their harvest. In the event that procurement at a specific center within a district is stalled due to a lack of produce inflow, the District Magistrate is empowered to relocate that purchase center to a location exhibiting a higher volume of produce arrivals. Furthermore, to strengthen the marketing infrastructure available to farmers, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) are also encouraged to establish and operate purchase centers. The entire process encompassing both farmer registration and the actual procurement of produce is managed and executed through a dedicated online portal. To ensure the timely disbursement of sale proceeds to farmers, a system has been implemented wherein procurement agencies transfer the payment for purchased wheat and paddy directly into the farmers' Aadhaar-linked bank accounts. This payment is processed via the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) through the 'e-Upurjan' portal, with a target timeframe of 48 hours wherever feasible; this mechanism serves to ensure both transparency and punctuality in the payment process. The year-wise details of the wheat and paddy purchase centers established in the Shravasti and Balrampur districts over the past three years are presented below: Shravasti Balrampur Wheat Paddy Wheat Paddy Year Procurement Procurement Procurement Procurement Center Center Center Center 2023-24 47 45 52 42 2024-25 52 35 53 28 2025-26 47 38 57 40(e) & (f): Under Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), a financing facility of Rs.1 lakh crore is provided through medium to long-term debt financing for investment in viable projects relating to post-harvest management infrastructure and viable farming assets such as warehouses, cold storages, cold chains, grading and sorting units, primary processing centres, pack houses and other supply chain infrastructure. The scheme provides interest subvention of 3% per annum on loans up to 2 crore and credit guarantee coverage for loans up to 22 crore under Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) and NABSanrakshan Trust Fund, thereby facilitating easy access to institutional credit for farmers, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), cooperatives, agri-entrepreneurs and start-ups. As on 11th March, 2026, the details of project type in the districts of Shravasti and Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh State sanctioned under AIF is as under: SHRAVASTI Project Type No. of Sanctioned Sanctioned Amount Projects (in crore) Primary processing 16 11.94 Center Warehouse 13 14.80 Grand Total 29 26.73 BALRAMPUR Primary processing 21 15.92 Center Warehouse 14 10.18 Grand Total 35 26.10 Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) is implemented to strengthen post-harvest infrastructure activities, under which capital assistance is provided for various horticulture activities, including construction/expansion/ modernization of cold storage facilities for perishable horticultural produce, secondary processing units for value addition across the country including Uttar Pradesh. The financial assistance is available in the form of credit linked back ended subsidy at the rate of 35% of the eligible project cost in general areas and 50% of the eligible project cost in case of NE & Himalayan States, Scheduled areas, vibrant villages, Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands. Further, under MIDH, assistance is also provided for Market infrastructure such as Rural Markets, Retail Markets/Outlets etc. for Government assistance is available within the range from 35% to 50% of the eligible project cost for general areas and in case of NE & Himalayan States, Scheduled areas, vibrant villages, Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands respectively. *****