Uttar Pradesh Announces Major Support for Potato Farmers: ₹1,000-Crore Price Stabilisation
Uttar Pradesh Announces Major Support for Potato Farmers: ₹1,000-Crore Price Stabilisation Fund, Storage and Seed Assistance
Lucknow, 17 August 2026: The Uttar Pradesh government has announced three major schemes aimed at providing relief to potato farmers from falling market prices, storage costs and the high cost of quality seed. A new Potato Development Portal – potato.uphorticulture.in has also been launched for implementation of these schemes.
1. ₹1,000-Crore ‘Price Stabilisation Fund’
A ₹1,000-crore Price Stabilisation Fund has been established to provide financial assistance to potato farmers in the event of a sharp decline in market prices. A token provision of ₹100 crore has been made under the scheme.
Registered farmers will be eligible for assistance for a maximum area of 2 hectares, covering up to 240 quintals of potatoes per hectare. The government estimates that around 12–14 lakh farmers across the state could benefit from the scheme.
Applications will be made online, and financial assistance will be transferred through DBT to Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts.
Two implementation periods have been specified — 1 January to 15 April and 1 July to 31 October.
2. ₹100 per Quintal Assistance for Potatoes Stored in Private Cold Storages
Farmers storing potatoes in private cold storages will be eligible for assistance of ₹100 per quintal towards storage charges, subject to a maximum benefit of ₹20,000 per farmer.
A ₹1,000-crore storage-charge relief scheme has been announced, with a token provision of ₹100 crore. According to the government, more than 15 lakh farmers are expected to benefit.
The assistance will also be transferred directly to Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts through DBT.
3. Up to ₹1,000 per Quintal Discount on Quality Potato Seed
To improve farmers’ access to new and high-quality potato varieties, the government has introduced the ‘Potato Seed Sale Price Discount Scheme’ for 2026–27.
Under the scheme, farmers can receive a discount of up to ₹1,000 per quintal on the purchase of potato seed.
A provision of ₹5 crore has been made for the scheme, which is expected to benefit more than 15,000 farmers.
Potato Bazaar Take
Together, the three schemes address three important cost and risk areas for potato farmers — market price volatility, cold storage expenses and seed costs.
The ₹100-per-quintal storage assistance and the Price Stabilisation Fund could be particularly significant for growers. Their actual impact, however, will depend on how effectively eligibility, determination of price decline and payment mechanisms are implemented on the ground.
Important for farmers: Online registration/application and an Aadhaar-seeded bank account are required to avail the benefits. Farmers should refer to the Uttar Pradesh Horticulture Department’s Potato Development Portal for detailed eligibility criteria and the application process.