The Uttar Pradesh government has launched a new scheme called ‘UP Agri’ aimed at increasing agricultural production and promoting agriculture-related industries. This scheme will be implemented with the help of the World Bank.
Under the ‘UP Agri’ scheme, farmers will be sent abroad for training in new technologies, and financial assistance will be provided for the agricultural sector. The primary objective of this scheme is to promote the development of clusters and related industries for crops such as peanuts, chilies, and green peas.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stated that 76 percent of Uttar Pradesh’s land is used for agriculture, with 187.70 lakh hectares of agricultural land in the state. However, there is still a need for improvement in Bundelkhand, Purvanchal, and Vindhya regions. Western Uttar Pradesh contributes 50 percent to agricultural production, while Eastern Uttar Pradesh contributes only 28 percent. Despite Bundelkhand having 7 percent of the population, its contribution to agricultural production is only 5.5 percent.
Through this scheme, a project worth 4000 crore rupees will directly benefit farmers, farmer groups, fishers, and MSME units in the agriculture sector. This project will be implemented in 21 districts of Eastern Uttar Pradesh and 7 districts of Bundelkhand, providing direct support to 10 lakh farmers, including 30 percent women farmers.
The ‘UP Agri’ project is considered a significant step towards making Uttar Pradesh a leading center in the country’s agricultural sector. It is expected to benefit farmers and encourage new experiments in agriculture.
