What happened: Farmers crowded the government agriculture seed store in Harchandpur on Monday, 2 November 2026, to collect subsidised wheat seed. Many waited for hours, and some said they had visited the store for several days. Store in-charge Hari Kishore said the store has 350 quintals of certified DBW-303 wheat seed, along with other certified and foundation grade seed. He said 130 farmers had received seed by 4:30 PM IST. Staff give seed only to farmers registered on the Farmer Registry and the UP Agriculture Darshan portal. The queue details come from a single source, Hindustan.
Why it matters: November is the main sowing time for wheat, the biggest rabi crop in Raebareli. A farmer from Baldupur with 18 bigha of land said he got four 20 kg bags only after three days of visits. A farmer from Sohaliya said his turn had not come by 3 PM. Farmers fear that late seed will mean late sowing and a smaller harvest. The seed comes with a 50 per cent subsidy under the general seed distribution scheme, so it costs about half the market price, Bhaskar and KNS Live report. Seed is handed out on POS machines with biometric checks. In Unchahar block, 735.80 quintals of wheat seed had been booked against a target of 1,160 quintals by 24 October, Bhaskar reported.
Honest opinion: The queues point to the pace of handing out seed more than a shortage, since the store says stock is enough. Small farmers lose the most, because a day in the queue is a day lost in the field. Farmers who are not on the Farmer Registry may miss the subsidy altogether. The rush is likely to continue until mid November unless the department adds staff or extra days. Confidence: medium.
What you should do: Register on the Farmer Registry and book seed on the agriculture department portal, agriculture.up.gov.in, before you go to the store. Carry your Aadhaar card, as biometric checks are used. Go early and ask the store in-charge which variety is in stock. If you face a problem, complain on the Jansunwai portal or contact your block agriculture office.
Sources
Hindustan, 2 November 2026, 11:54 PM IST, https://www.livehindustan.com/uttar-pradesh/raebareli/story-farmers-face-long-queues-for-subsidized-wheat-seeds-in-harchandpur-201793643855231.html
Bhaskar, 24 October 2026, https://www.bhaskar.com/local/uttar-pradesh/raibareli/arkhamustakil/news/unchahar-farmers-wheat-mustard-seed-subsidy-online-booking-portal-139471689.html
KNS Live, October 2026, https://knslive.in/booking-for-rabi-crop-seeds-has-started-in-raebareli-farmers-should-apply-immediately-to-avail-a-50-subsidy-and-receive-a-free-mustard-minikit/
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