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Yogi highlights UP’s agri transformation, global food hub goal
Uttar Pradesh aims to become a global food basket by 2030, with significant agricultural advancements and support for farmers, says CM Yogi Adityanath.
: Over the past 11 years, Uttar Pradesh has witnessed transformational changes in agriculture, chief minister Yogi Adityanath said on Monday.
The chief minister was chairing a session as the chief guest
on the second day of the Direct-Seeded Rice (DSR) Conclave 2025 held at the International Rice Research Institute- South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC), Varanasi. The event is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Uttar Pradesh department of agriculture.
Adityanath also unveiled a host of agricultural knowledge products and mechanisation innovations on the occasion, aiming to make Uttar Pradesh the global food basket by 2030.
“Under the leadership of our Prime Minister, farmers have benefited annually from initiatives such as the Soil Health Card, crop insurance, Minimum Support Price, and the Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, which now reaches over 10 crore farmers each year. Although the state accounts for only 11% of India’s cultivable area, it contributes 21% of the nation’s food production,” he said.
The session was themed “Exploring Pathways for Making Uttar Pradesh the Global Food Basket by 2030.”
“With four agricultural universities in the state, and one more coming up, we are further strengthening research and knowledge dissemination,” he added.
“We must also actively leverage our rich traditional knowledge, inherited over generations and chronicled in ancient manuscripts and travelers’ accounts, to strengthen both our agricultural heritage and modern innovation. Kalanamak, an iconic One District One Product variety of Uttar Pradesh, has historical significance as it was offered as Mahaprasad by Lord Buddha,” he said.
“Uttar Pradesh has immense potential due to its favorable agroecological conditions. In these 11 years, the efforts of the state government have accelerated agri-food production in the state to over fivefold across cereals, pulses, oilseeds, and vegetables,” he said.
By continuing such support for farmers, Uttar Pradesh can achieve its vision of a one trillion-dollar economy, with agriculture as a major contributor, he added.
Uttar Pradesh agriculture minister Surya Pratap Shahi noted that a growing network of international partnerships is significantly contributing to agricultural innovation, capacity building, and farmer empowerment across the region.
IRRI director general Dr Yvonne Pinto congratulated the Uttar Pradesh department of agriculture on its 150th anniversary.
The key initiatives launched by the CM include
e-seeder for rice, precision hill seeder, direct-seeded rice (DSR) and zero-tillage wheat (ZTW) developed by IRRI and Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (IGKV), Raipur.
