LUCKNOW, April 12 -- The Uttar Pradesh government has made the Kisan Pehchan Patra (Farmer ID) mandatory for availing benefits under agriculture and allied department schemes, as well as for procurement of crops at the minimum support price (MSP), in a push to streamline beneficiary identification and plug leakages.

In an order issued by chief secretary SP Goyal on Friday, the state government said all departments implementing farmer-centric schemes will progressively link benefits to the Farmer ID system being developed under the centre's Agristack initiative.

The government said around 75% of the targeted farmers in the state have already been issued Farmer IDs, while work is underway on priority to cover the remaining eligible cultiv...