Lucknow, 7 June (HS): In order to

maintain food price stability and promote food security, the Uttar Pradesh

government has increased efforts to increase production of pulses and oilseeds,

two vital mainstays in every Indian household. Given their susceptibility to

price swings and persistent demand, even minor supply imbalances can have an

influence on foreign markets, causing price increases, particularly in heavily

populated areas like Uttar Pradesh.

To prevent such eventualities and

provide inexpensive access to necessities like beans and cooking oil, the state

is increasing output. This involves encouraging farmers to extend their crop

areas and ensuring they are compensated fairly for their output. The double-engine administration, led by

Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath

at the State, has undertaken focused interventions in this area. The Centre recently

raised the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for important Kharif commodities, with

pulses and oilseeds seeing rises ranging from 81% to 172% over the previous

decade. The lowest rise was 81% for

groundnut, while the largest was 172% for niger seed.

In addition to price assistance,

the government is actively teaching and aiding farmers in adopting more

efficient farming techniques. Farmers

are being educated in modern pulse and oilseed production techniques as part of

the country's greatest agricultural campaign, the Viksit Krishi Sankalp

Abhiyan.

Under this effort, the Yogi

administration is delivering 4.58 lakh free minikits to progressive farmers,

including 1.05 lakh kits for pulses like urad, moong, and arhar, 1 lakh kits for

sesame (til), and 6,000 kits for groundnuts.

The government is also launching

specific projects to increase cultivation, such as the Dalhan-Tilhan Mission

and the Dalhan Gram Yojana. Pulses have

also been included into the state's flagship One District, One Product (ODOP)

program. According to figures given by the state government on Saturday,

oilseed output in Uttar Pradesh was merely 12.40 lakh metric tons in

2016-17. By 2023-24, it had climbed to

20.31 lakh metric tons, a 128% increase.

Pulse production has followed a similar rising pattern. This upward trend is projected to continue,

aided by ambitious programs such as the UP AGREES project, which is being

undertaken with World Bank financing and focuses on developing regions such as

Bundelkhand and Purvanchal.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi