Lucknow,

April 24 (HS): Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath attended the inaugural function

of the Regional Agriculture Conference (Northern Region) in Lucknow on Friday.

On this occasion, he said that Uttar Pradesh is making remarkable progress in

agricultural production. This change is the result of scientific techniques,

agro-climatic zone-based strategies, and coordinated efforts of the central and

state governments. The concept of lab to land has been implemented

in Uttar Pradesh, directly benefiting farmers.

Addressing

the conference held at Hotel Centrum, Chief Minister Yogi said that the

significant increase in agricultural growth rate in Uttar Pradesh, record

improvement in production per hectare, expansion of multi-cropping and

increasing focus on value addition are clear signs of this change. Describing

regional agricultural conferences, establishment of international agricultural

centers, empowerment of agricultural science centers and the role of

progressive farmers as the main basis for this change, the Chief Minister said

that Uttar Pradesh today has the potential to give a new direction to the

country's agricultural economy.

Policies

should be tailored to different agro-climatic zones: In his address, the Chief

Minister stated that since different countries and regions have different

agro-climatic zones, policies should also be tailored accordingly. Organizing

such seminars in different zones yields positive results. Sharing his

experiences, the Chief Minister said that last year, during the Developed

Agriculture Campaign and Kheti Ki Baat, Khet Mein programs,

he had the opportunity to visit several districts, where he witnessed

unprecedented enthusiasm and curiosity among farmers, agricultural scientists,

and agricultural education trainees. For the first time, he has had the

opportunity to translate innovation directly into practice. Previously,

research conducted in the lab took a long time to reach the land, but now the

concept of lab to land has become a reality, and technology is

reaching the fields directly. Expressing gratitude to Union Agriculture

Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who was present at the event, for this

innovative initiative, the Chief Minister said that he has played an important

role in implementing this concept practically across the country.

Referring

to the situation in 2017, the Chief Minister said that at that time, there were

only 69 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) in the state, which were largely inactive

and their scientists were attached to other institutions. Subsequently, the

central government initiated 20 new KVKs and implemented a plan to strengthen

existing centers. Today, all KVKs are actively promoting innovation and

providing new direction to agricultural development through Centers of

Excellence in all nine agro-climatic zones of the state.

The

Chief Minister said that today these scientists conduct demonstrations at the

local level and then implement them in farmers' fields. They conduct frequent

visits, conduct ongoing seminars, and organize various programs. They also

maintain constant dialogue with the Government of India. As a result, Uttar

Pradesh's agricultural growth rate has increased from eight to nearly 18

percent. The results indicate that we can achieve even better achievements. The

Chief Minister said, I believe that at the time of independence,

agriculture's contribution to India's economy was approximately 41-42 percent.

Over time, its contribution has declined. If there is better coordination

between agriculture and manufacturing, the pace of development can be further

accelerated. Currently, manufacturing's contribution still hovers around 15-16

percent, while agriculture's share has declined to approximately 20-21 percent.

Now, there is a need to integrate agriculture with value addition. To achieve

this, new efforts need to be pursued more vigorously and expanded

effectively.

The

Chief Minister said that technology can play a crucial role in today's times.

Expressing gratitude to the Government of India and Prime Minister Modi, he

said that they have established international centers for various products in

Uttar Pradesh. For example, the International Rice Institute has been

established in Varanasi, which is yielding excellent results. New varieties

have been developed here. The results of these studies are now clearly visible:

which varieties are suitable for different agro-climatic zones, which

techniques should be adopted, and how quality seeds can increase production. He

expressed happiness that in some areas, paddy production per hectare has

reached 100 quintals, which was previously limited to 50-60 quintals.

The

Chief Minister cited the example of Padma Award-winning progressive farmer

Ramsharan Verma of Barabanki. He said, Last year, I had the opportunity

to visit his farm as part of the 'Developed Agriculture Campaign.' If someone

asks Ramsharan Verma about his educational qualifications, he describes himself

as a '10th-grade failure.' But his expertise in farming and his use of

scientific methods are deeply inspiring. He provides a living example of

achieving higher production at lower costs.

The

Chief Minister said that farmers are now receiving fair prices for their

produce. Today, Uttar Pradesh is making remarkable progress in agricultural

production. Currently, the state produces approximately 42.5 million metric

tons of wheat, 21.1 million metric tons of rice, and 24.5 million metric tons

of potatoes. Additionally, oilseed production has reached approximately 4.8

million metric tons. Uttar Pradesh has also recorded significant growth in

vegetable and other crop production.

On

this occasion, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister

of State for Agriculture Ramnath Thakur, Union Minister of State for

Agriculture Bhagirath Choudhary, Agriculture Minister of Uttar Pradesh Surya

Pratap Shahi, Horticulture Minister of Uttar Pradesh Dinesh Pratap Singh, Minister

of State for Agriculture of Uttar Pradesh Baldev Singh Aulakh, Horticulture

Minister of Himachal Pradesh Jagat Singh Negi, Agriculture Minister of Jammu

and Kashmir Javed Ahmed Dar, Horticulture Minister of Punjab Mohinder Bhagat,

Agriculture Minister of Punjab Gurmeet Singh, Agriculture Minister of

Uttarakhand Ganesh Joshi were present.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi