Union Minister for Agriculture, Farmers’ Welfare, and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday announced the establishment of a state-of-the-art Clean Plant Centre in Lucknow to provide a significant boost to Uttar Pradesh’s horticulture sector. The facility will focus on supplying high-quality, disease-free planting material, a measure designed to expand horticultural cultivation and substantially elevate agrarian incomes across the state.
The announcement came during a comprehensive review meeting at the Yojana Bhawan in Lucknow, where Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Minister Chouhan deliberated on Uttar Pradesh’s agricultural roadmap, central and state schemes, and rural development frameworks alongside senior administrative
officials from both tiers of government.
During the session, the Union Minister formalised the extension of the central government procurement period for gram, lentil, and mustard, handing over the official approval letter to the Chief Minister. The decision ensures that a broader demographic of regional cultivators can insulate themselves from market fluctuations by selling their produce at the scheduled Minimum Support Price.
In a concurrent push for rural infrastructure, the Union Minister presented the state government with an authenticated list of 618,482 eligible beneficiaries designated for the upcoming phase of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin). Acknowledging the allocation, Chief Minister Adityanath directed state officials to initiate a transparent and time-bound disbursement process to guarantee absolute coverage for every deserving rural family.
A pivotal component of the high-level meeting was a technical presentation by the Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) entitled Viksit Krishi @2047: Uttar Pradesh Action Plan. The strategic blueprint estimates that through structured crop diversification and productivity-led interventions, Uttar Pradesh’s agriculture and allied sectors—currently valued at approximately 7.41 trillion rupees—can expand to a 96.96 trillion rupee economy by 2047. Realising this target requires elevating the state’s real agricultural growth rate from its current baseline of 3.19 per cent to an accelerated 5.41 per cent.
The ICAR roadmap advocates a systematic transition away from a traditional reliance on paddy and wheat toward high-value alternatives, including pulses, oilseeds, coarse cereals, maize, and horticulture, customized to specific district-level agro-climatic zones. To enhance per-hectare yields, the plan details separate development tracks involving climate-resilient hybrid seeds, precision agriculture, micro-irrigation, and zero-tillage systems. Furthermore, the adoption of Integrated Farming Systems—combining crop production with dairy, poultry, fisheries, and agroforestry—is projected to increase net farm incomes by 109 to 162 per cent while stimulating local employment.
The 2047 action plan sets an ambitious benchmark to elevate agricultural mechanisation across the state to 75 per cent, leveraging advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, remote sensing, and drone operations. It additionally recommends establishing dedicated precision laboratories and business incubation cells across all districts to shift the local agricultural model from a purely production-centric framework into a value-added, export-oriented economy.
Addressing ongoing scheme implementations, Union Minister Chouhan noted that the distribution of Soil Health Cards must be backed by proactive farmer education regarding balanced nutrient application. He instructed state executives to closely collaborate with banking institutions to expand the coverage of the Kisan Credit Cards and the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, while assuring the state of an uninterrupted supply of essential fertilisers.
The panel also reviewed structural innovations within the state, notably the deployment of FDR technology in rural engineering. Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya highlighted that this specific methodology has saved the state exchequer nearly 1,000 crore rupees while lowering the overall environmental footprint, prompting a positive response from the Union Minister regarding potential federal incentive support.
Looking ahead, the Union Minister emphasised timely execution protocols for the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar aur Aajeevika Mission (Gramin), or VB-G RAM G, which is scheduled to commence in July to enhance rural livelihoods and asset creation. State authorities were urged to expedite the submission of pending documentation to settle outstanding MGNREGA accounts to facilitate a seamless transition into the new employment framework.
Concluding the high-level brief, the joint committees reviewed comprehensive contingency measures against potential El Niño weather disruptions, consolidating a coordinated action plan focusing on rapid water harvesting and climate-resilient crop management to secure the state’s agricultural output.
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