Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Friday unveiled a new agriculture policy, which she promised, would, “change the face of the state”.
The policy seeks to create basic infrastructure structure for agricultural distribution, provide facilities for investment, marketing and a marketing information system. It also aims at technical counselling, transportation and packaging services, increasing the capacity of  value addition works and a minimum support price on the specified agriculture produces.
The policy is also aimed at rescuing farmers from exploitation by  middlemen and ensuring competitive prices for  their produce by allowing private parties to purchase their produce and set up retail commercial centres at places of their choice.
Towards this end, investors, who  are ready to invest a minimum of Rs 5,000 crore in the next three years, will be permitted to buy produce of the farmers directly.
While investors will be permitted to purchase agricultural produce, they would have no owenrship right on the farmers’ lands under any circumstances.
The policy is also aimed at providing retail revolution in the world economy, so that rural economy becomes part of the mainstream.
The policy would benefit about 12 crore farmers of the state and attract an investment of about Rs 30-40 crore in the next three-four years.