Yogi govt developing dedicated crop and fruit clusters
As part of this initiative, districts participating in One District One Product (ODOP) farming are being equipped with facilities for grading, packaging, branding, and marketing through common facility centres (CFCs).
LUCKNOW: In an effort to revolutionise Uttar Pradesh’s agriculture sector, the state government is upgrading existing agricultural clusters and establishing new ones for a diverse range of fruits and crops.
As these clusters gain recognition for their specialised produce, market opportunities for these products are also expanding. Notable examples include Malihabadi Dussehri mangoes, Saharanpur’s Chaunsa mangoes, Varanasi’s Langra mangoes, Gorakhpur and Basti’s Gawarjeet, Ayodhya’s jaggery, Saharanpur’s jaggery, Pratapgarh’s gooseberry (amla), Siddharthnagar’s Kala Namak rice, and Kushinagar’s bananas, according to a government press release.
As part of this initiative, districts participating in One District One Product (ODOP) farming are being equipped with facilities for grading, packaging, branding, and marketing through common facility centres (CFCs).
According to T. Damodaran, director of the central institute of subtropical horticulture, the institute, in collaboration with the government, has established clusters for Dussehri and Chaunsa mangoes in Lucknow and western Uttar Pradesh, connecting around 4,000 orchardists.
These farmers are provided with guidance on orchard rejuvenation, flowering techniques, crop protection, and fruit quality enhancement, leading to significant benefits. One notable success is the export of 5 tonnes of Dussehri mangoes from Malihabad to the United States for the first time.
Clusters are also a crucial aspect of the Uttar Pradesh Agriculture Growth and Rural Enterprises Ecosystem Strengthening (UP AGREES) initiative, a collaboration between the Yogi government and the World Bank. The UP AGREES project, which was recently approved by the Yogi government and the World Bank, focuses on the creation of agricultural clusters. A budget of ₹4,000 crore has been allocated over six years for this extensive initiative.
The central government is eager to harness the potential of agricultural clusters to benefit farmers. Recently, union minister for agriculture and rural development, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, announced plans to establish 100 export-oriented horticulture clusters over the next five years with an investment of ₹1,800 crore. Additionally, the government intends to develop clusters focused on vegetable production.
The Uttar Pradesh state government is working actively to ensure that farmers in the state can fully capitalise on these initiatives with support from the Centre. For instance, agricultural goods are now being transported at reduced costs via the country’s only inland waterway from Prayagraj to Haldia. The Yogi government also plans to extend this waterway to Ayodhya, which will benefit a significant number of farmers in the Awadh and Purvanchal regions. Furthermore, the construction of Jewar Airport is anticipated to bring similar economic advantages to farmers in Central and Western Uttar Pradesh.