Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said that while many played politics in the name of farmers after independence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a sincere effort in 2014 to make their issues part of the political agenda.
Addressing a programme, ‘Krishika - From Farming to Prosperity’, at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan here, Adityanath said the central government is committed to ensuring the farmers become self-reliant, according to an official statement.
He also honoured 11 farmers with cheques, shawls and mementoes. “Key initiatives such as issuing soil health cards and launching schemes like the PM Fasal Bima Yojana and PM Krishi Sinchayee Yojana have significantly benefited the farming community,” the chief minister said.
While many played politics in the name of farmers after independence, Prime Minister Modi made a sincere effort in 2014 to make their issues part of the political agenda, he said.
Adityanath said India has long been recognised as a nation with a predominantly rural economy.
“Even today in Uttar Pradesh, approximately 70 per cent of the land is tied to the rural economy, serving as a vital source of income and employment. With 17 per cent of the country’s population residing in Uttar Pradesh, the state contributes significantly to the national food supply,” he said.
“Although Uttar Pradesh has only 11 per cent of India’s cultivable land, it produces over 20 per cent of the nation’s foodgrains. Of the 235 lakh hectares of land in the state, 161 lakh hectares is cultivated, with 86 per cent of it being irrigated and extremely fertile.
“This allows Uttar Pradesh farmers to produce nearly double the quantity of foodgrains compared to other states,” he added.
Highlighting the achievements of the state, Adityanath said Uttar Pradesh expanded irrigation coverage and warehousing capacity. The sugarcane sector, once plagued by farmer protests, now boasts of 120 operational sugar mills, 100 of which make payments to farmers within a week.
“Uttar Pradesh ranks first in sugarcane, sugar and ethanol production, while also accounting for 25 per cent of India’s potato production and 30 per cent of its maize output. The state’s farmers have set records in the cultivation of paddy, wheat, pulses, and oilseeds,” he said.
He also noted that Uttar Pradesh leads the country in cattle rearing, with over 12 lakh stray cows being cared for in government shelters.
Uttar Pradesh Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Minister Dharmpal Singh, Minister of State for Agriculture Baldev Singh Aulakh, Vice Chancellor of Acharya Narendra Dev Agriculture and Technology University Bijendra Singh, Vice Chancellor of Chandrashekhar Azad Agriculture and Technology University Anand Kumar and Director General of State Agricultural Research Council Sanjay Singh were among those who attended the event, according to the statement.
