Lucknow, Dec 23 (Representative) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said that the rate of agricultural development must be doubled from what it is now if UP is to become a growth engine and the country’s largest economy.On the occasion of Kisan Samman Diwas, Yogi said, “UP has this potential and FPOs and technology can play a significant role in this.” Paying tributes to farmers’ leader and former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh for his work done for farmers and farmer’s welfare, the CM said, “After independence Chaudhary Charan Singh had said that emphasis was needed on agriculture and farming within the country if India was to emerge as a big global power. This vision of his is still a guiding light for farmers welfare in India.” On the occasion, the CM inaugurated the exhibition of products of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) in Lucknow in addition to awarding and honouring farmers, agri-entrepreneurs and agricultural scientists. The CM said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a number of programmes as soon as he came into power in 2014 in an effort to fulfill Chaudhary Saheb’s dream, and transform the lives of the farmers and double their income. “The objective of these initiatives was to reduce costs and increase productivity,” he said. He said that under PM Modi’s leadership, the Farmers Crop Insurance Scheme was launched for the first time and that not only was there an increase in the arrival of all other types of such programs, but he also ensured their proper implementation. “After 2014, Soil Health Cards were made available to protect the wellbeing of mother earth, which provides for all of us and serves as the foundation for self-reliance and respect.” Listing out the farmers’ welfare schemes in UP, Yogi said, “First of all, in March 2017, our governments waived off loans worth Rs 36,000 crore for 86 lakh farmers. In the last 5.5 years, additional irrigation facilities were provided for 22 lakh hectares of land. Besides, over Rs 51,000 crores have already been transferred to the bank accounts of more than 2.60 crore farmers in UP.”
He said that for the first time in independent India, the farmer became a part of the country’s political agenda and welfare schemes were made available to him. “Over the past eight years, people have seen how technology can be applied to agriculture. Crops including paddy, seeds, pulses and oilseeds were purchased from farmers in record quantities on MSP and the price of their crops was sent directly to their accounts, cutting out the middlemen. Sugarcane price of Rs 1.84 lakh crore was also paid to the farmers,” he said. The CM said that no sugar mills were shut down during Corona, instead, 119 sugar mills were operating in the state till there was even a single stalk of sugarcane in the fields of the farmers. Criticising the previous governments for closing the sugar mills, he said, “In the past, sugar mill owners operated according to their wishes. The government used to remain silent in front of them. In the previous governments, every sugar mill was sold. However, under our government, no sugar mills were sold, and new ones were instead set up.” Yogi said that many sugar mills were expanded. “Gorakhpur Pipraich Mill was newly established and Najibabad Sugar Mill was expanded. Our ‘Annadata’ farmers are actively going forward in this field today, which helps the state’s agriculture grow at a faster rate. They are also advancing it by utilising their efforts and government initiatives,” he said Stating that UP has a large number of small and marginal farmers, he said, “Farmers with small holdings are not able to adopt the technology. That’s the reason the role of farmer producer organisations will be important.”Yogi said, “We need to double the rate of agricultural development from the current rate if we want to move UP forward as the growth engine of the country’s economy. UP has the potential to do this. UP is home to 16 percent of the nation’s population and 11 percent of agricultural land. It is the nation’s most fertile land. In terms of water resources also, we excel. UP provides 20 percent of the nation’s total supply of food grains. We can increase it if we correctly plan our resources.”
Asserting that the double engine government has made many efforts for the welfare of the farmers, the CM said, “Four agricultural universities are being run by the state government. Two agriculture universities are being run by the central government in the state. There are 75 districts within the state and 89 Krishi Vigyan Kendras are operating in these districts. The Krishi Vigyan Kendras, which were in dilapidated condition before 2017, today have various training programs going on for the farmers.” Mentioning that the PM has given a new concept of farming in the form of National Natural Farming to the farmers of the country, he said, “The experience of natural farming teaches a lot. This time the monsoon came late, but the farmers associated with natural farming had already made preparations and their productivity was good.” Yogi said that despite the fact that it rained heavily in October this year the farmers kept working. “In one acre of land, a farmer spends Rs 15,000 on fertilizer, chemicals and pesticides, whereas in natural farming this cost comes to only Rs 1,000. That is, a farmer can save Rs 14,000 in one acre through natural farming,” he said. He said, “We have also done the work of linking this with certification. Our farmers in the state have made good efforts for this. Every commissionerate and agricultural science center in the state should have a lab for agricultural product certification. In all the 27 districts on the banks of the Ganges and in all the seven districts of Bundelkhand, we have worked to take forward the program of natural farming on mission mode by linking it with the Government of India.” The CM also emphasised on growing organic crops, production of vegetables and its export. He said that with the use of technology, such as drones to spray pesticides instead of doing it manually, farmers can save both time and cost. He said, “UP is a state with immense possibilities. I believe that all progressive farmers will connect with Krishi Vigyan Kendras and Agricultural Universities around them and link other farmers too.”