UP removes online rule for wheat sales as centre eases norms in Punjab
Farmers can now sell wheat at MSP without digital registration, while rain-hit regions receive quality relaxations.
INDIA – The Uttar Pradesh (UP) government has removed the need for online registration for farmers selling wheat at state procurement centers, allowing direct sales at the Minimum Support Price.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered district officials to act on the change at once. Farmers can now take their produce to procurement centers without going through a digital process. The earlier rule had blocked many small farmers who struggled with online systems and often sold to traders at lower prices.
The decision returns the process to a simpler system. State officials say it will help farmers get fair prices and avoid delays during the peak harvest period. According to state data, authorities have already procured 2.38 lakh metric tonnes of wheat from more than 42,000 farmers this season. Even with the rule change, over 4.77 lakh farmers have still chosen to register online.
The government has set up 5,400 procurement centers across districts to manage supply. Officials have also asked these centers to provide drinking water, fans, and shaded waiting areas due to the ongoing heat. District magistrates will oversee daily operations to ensure smooth buying and to prevent unfair practices.
The move is likely to bring more farmers into the procurement system and reduce reliance on middlemen. Still, some experts warn that the lack of registration may make it harder to track farmers and verify crops, which could affect record keeping.
At the national level, the Centre has also taken steps to support wheat farmers in Punjab and Chandigarh after recent rains damaged crops. The government has relaxed quality rules for the Rabi Marketing Season 2026 to 2027 so that affected wheat can still be bought at MSP.
Officials have raised the limit for lustre loss to 70 percent and increased the tolerance for shrivelled and broken grains to 15 percent from the earlier 6 percent. These changes mean farmers will not lose income due to weather damage.
Punjab’s food minister said the state pushed for the change after heavy rains. Authorities have also directed agencies to lift wheat within 72 hours of purchase and ensure payments reach farmers within 48 hours.
Opposition parties have raised concerns about delays in seeking these relaxations, saying some farmers faced losses when agencies first rejected damaged wheat.
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