Bhavantar Bharpayee Yojana, Haryana

Summary of the Initiative

Bhavantar Bharpayee Yojana is a unique Scheme of Haryana Government for horticulture farmers to compensate for the low price of their produce in the market. The Scheme has been extended to Bajra crop from Kharif season of 2021 to boost millet growing farmers in the State.

Situation before Initiative

Farmers were often forced to sell their produce at low price due to surplus production of crops, It resulted in indebtness and eventually becoming a reason for farmer suicides. To avoid such incidents, the State Government of Haryana came up with a new farmer development scheme called the Bhavantar Bharpayee Yojana which aims to safeguard the interest of the farmers.

Nature of Initiative

Bhavantar Bharpayee Yojana was started with the intention to reduce the risk of farmers by fixed protected prices during low prices of vegetables and fruits in the market and to encourage farmers for diversification in agriculture. Haryana Government announced to include bajra in the ‘Bhavantar Bharpayee Yojana’ from kharif season 2021, to encourage private players to buy the bajra grains which the Government procures at Rs. 2,250 per quintal as per Minimum Support Price (MSP). It considers the difference in price (average market price and MSP) of bajra as ‘Bhavantar’ price and after verification of crops, Government will pay farmers the difference in price up to Rs.600 per quintal on average of the yield in case the private players pay lesser. Haryana is the first State in the country to implement such a Scheme. At least 21 horticultural crops have already been included under the Scheme. The Scheme is applicable only to those farmers of Haryana who have registered on the ‘Meri Fasal, Mera Byora’ portal for buying bajra. While 86 procurement centers have been set up for purchase of bajra, 38 for moong, 19 for maize, and 7 for groundnut purchase and 199 for purchase of paddy. Additional procurement sites have also been identified as a contingency if there is huge arrival of produce at the procurement centers.

Impact of Initiative

The Scheme has been designed and developed for the safeguarding the investment of the farmers. Some vegetable crops have been identified for the Scheme and now Bajra farmers also benefit. In kharif season 2021, 2.71 lakh farmers were registered on the ‘Meri fasal, Mera Byora’ portal for bajra. This Scheme is a boon for the millet growing farmers of Haryana, as it helped in socio economic improvement of the poor and marginal farmers of the State. It also triggered the farmers to expand area under millet cultivation. Since the private entities are going to buy the bajra, it will have positive impact on its cultivation and consumption in Haryana. The success of the Scheme will pave way for other millet growing states to replicate the Scheme as well.

Source : State Missions and Initiatives to Promote Millets