Pratapgarh, the south-eastern district of Uttar Pradesh, is famous in the country and the world for its vitamin-C fruits. The government of the state has included Amla in the scheme ‘one district, one District One Product’, under which the government claims to provide many facilities and help to Amla farmers. Apart from this, during the budget session (Budget Session 2025) in Parliament recently, MP from Pratapgarh Lok Sabha seat, SP Singh Patel mentioned the problems faced by Amla farmers. Along with this, he also placed some demands in front of the government.
‘Compulsion in front of Amla farmers…’
Samajwadi Party MP SP Singh Patel said in Parliament during the budget session on 03 April 2025, “I want to attract the attention of the government to a significant problem related to Amla production. Industry or factory is not established for Amla processing in the district, so that farmers have to sell their produce in low prices. So I request the government to establish an agency based in the government. Take quick action in. “
Amla farmers struggling with many challenges
Amla is considered to be a business of capital because the gooseberry tree gives fruits for many years by planting once. But the current situation is that many farmers who cultivate large levels cut hundreds of gooseberry trees. Amla farmers of Pratapgarh have many difficulties in front:
- Fruit ‘improper’ price
- Middlemen’s hand to sell fruits
- Non -availability of production units
- Increasing cost from year to year
- Black marketing of fertilizers
Farmers heard sad stories!
Amla cultivation started from the house of Amla farmer Jwala Singh, resident of Gonde around 1975 in Pratapgarh. He has a gooseberry garden in about 36 acres of land in the present time.
Jwala Singh mentioned many types of challenges in a conversation with ‘aajtak.in’. He says, “Due to middlemen, the mandi of gooseberry is in a sense.
Raj Yadav, a farmer who cultivates gooseberry in about 4 bighas of land, says, “Earlier farmers used to marry their children with amla cultivation, but the situation has changed in the present time. At present, the situation of gooseberry has not been the same as before, only claims can be made on paper, the situation is bad only on the ground. The conditions are bad. 90 % in the business and its connected business The middlemen capture. The farmer does not get the value of his rights. “
The farmers told that with great difficulty the crop of gooseberry is prepared, but even after this they have to face the problem. Amla farmer Ganga Prasad says, “We do not get laborers to break Amla. Even if we get the labor, we do not get benefit after giving them wages. The situation is very bad.”
At the same time, Jwala Singh says that when Amla was 6 rupees a kg, the wage was 200 rupees. Even today, Amla is Rs 6 per kg and the wage has become 500 rupees. Earlier, the workers used to break five crates gooseberry, but now only three crates break, wages have also increased from above.
“If there is no middleman, the work will come to a standstill,” says Autendra Singh, president of ‘Amla Producers Association’, a resident of Chilbila. Where will the farmer take his goods, no company buy direct goods from farmers. There is a situation like unemployment for farmers, traders and agents associated with amla cultivation. “
They further say that the product companies are directly related to fixing the rate of gooseberry. According to the rates they decide, according to that we buy fruits from farmers and sell them forward.
‘Along with the price of gooseberry, the measurement unit also arbitrary…’
Many types of measurement units are used in India. Similarly, ‘Mana’ is also a traditional unit. Jwala Singh expresses his malaise, saying, “There is a mind of forty kilograms (40kg) everywhere in the country, but at the time of the purchase of gooseberry, middlemen make a ‘mind’ of 41 kg. In such a situation, farmers have a loss of one kilo per ‘mind’ per ‘mind’.
Raj Yadav says that middlemen earn good advantage in amla business. They buy from farmers to handle the goals of several kilometers of land. When the fruits are ready, they sell it at arbitrary price.
The price of gooseberry is not fixed, the biggest challenge of Amla farmers of Pratapgarh is the biggest challenge. Jwala Singh says that if the rate of gooseberry is fixed, then the Amla farmer of Pratapgarh will be happy.
The ground reality of the government scheme is disappointing
In the year 2018, the Uttar Pradesh government launched a ‘one district, one product’ scheme. ODOP Official website According to, ₹ 307 crore in the year 2024-25 and ₹ 337 crore for 2025-26 was allotted in the state budget from the UP government to implement the scheme.
According to the government, the aim of the scheme is to create a product-specific traditional industrial hub in all 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh, which will promote the traditional industries of the district’s districts. Along with this, some more things were also said from the government, which are as follows:
- Conservation of local crafts/skills, promoting development and art.
- Local income and employment increase.
- Improve the quality and skill development of the product.
- Packaging, changing products in artistic way through branding.
- Connecting production with tourism.
- Solving issues of economic difference and regional imbalance.
- To take the concept of ODOP to national and international level after successful implementation at the state level.
In contrast, Amla farmers claimed that we do not get profit from this scheme. Amla farmer Ganga Prasad does not know about the ODOP scheme started from the government. They say that there is no help from the government. Farmers are upset, what they should do. It is better than gooseberry, cultivate wheat and rice.
Says Atendra Singh, “The government’s claims are air-air. It is not known where the ODOP scheme has come and where it has gone. The government only says but nothing happens. Every year there is an order from DM and Lucknow that orders will be made, but in reality nothing happens.”
‘Government’s intention is very good, but…’
Jwala Singh says, “Due to middlemen, the market remains down and the factory bought fruits at cheap prices. This scheme has benefited those who are installed and selling products. The government’s intention was very good but everything is being governed through the market. Is.”
Raj Yadav also says that the government’s plan is good but its effect is not visible on the ground anywhere. The government should conduct a survey of the area and send the representatives to the farmers, tell them about Yojana and listen to the problem. After this it is possible that some changes can come.
Climate change also affects farming
Sometimes climate change also breaks as climate change in front of Amla farmers facing all kinds of challenges. Raj Yadav says, “Pratapgarh, the cultivation of seventy -five percent of the gooseberry is dependent on nature. If there is rain, splashes and heat on time, then the crop of gooseberry is good. If there is no rain, the crop is ruined by the heat.”
Jwala Singh explains, “If there is strong sunlight after coming out in the gooseberry, the thorns die. At the same time, if there is more fog in the cold, then the crop is still damaged.”
At the same time, Ganga Prasad says that if the medicine is not sprayed on the gooseberry trees, then the fruit does not come. Low rain causes Lutura (a kind of disease) in amla trees. Earlier, the leaves of gooseberry used to hang big and now the leaves are becoming small. “
How is Amla crop ready?
Fertilizers are added to the gooseberry field before it rains. After a good rain, spraying of medicine is started on the leaves. After this, there is a flower in the tree, which makes fruit when given with the weather.
Jwala Singh says that the fertilizer, which is put in the crop of gooseberry, is also available from the Keelat. He has to fall prey to black market.
Claims of the department on the problem of farmers and claiming solution
Pratapgarh District Horticulture Officer Sunil Kumar Sharma says, “There has been a problem in front of the farmers about the sale of gooseberry. There is a problem of the fix rate of fruit. The reason behind this is that Amla market in Mahuli takes place at night, there are about ten traders here, the same rates are determined. So the benefits that farmers should get, they do not get it.”
The District Horticulture Officer said that the farmers raised this issue several times and we also spoke in front of the DM to resolve it that they will not be able to succeed until the farmers get the right price. To solve the problem, a functional pack house has been constructed by the District Magistrate at a cost of one crore twenty lakh rupees in Gonde area, which is being made an SOP for operating, it will be started very soon. It has provided processing, grading and packing. ”
At the same time, Amla farmer Jwala Singh says that a processing unit is open in Gonde, but now only the structure is seen standing there. Ramlila Maidan and the play of children have also been finished, but no one goes there, nothing is happening there in the name of processing.
District Horticulture Officer Sunil Kumar mentioned two schemes- ‘Pradhan Mantri Pure Food Scheme’ and ‘Industry Nidhi 2023 Scheme’. He says, “There is a provision of a subsidy of thirty five percent or a maximum of ten lakh rupees for setting up processing units under the Pradhan Mantri Pure Food Scheme. Apart from this, ninety percent of bank loans are available and the farmer has to cost ten percent. The farmer has to pay. In the last two-three years, about three and a half farmers have taken advantage of this scheme.”