Despite their dependence on nature, the farmers of Uttar Pradesh have proved their potential by producing record quantities of foodgrains, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Sunday, adding that the income of farmers had more than doubled since 2014 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi set the target to double farmers’ income by 2022.
Distributing mini kits of progressive seeds to the farmers and speaking on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, Yogi Adityanath said that farmers of UP were aware of the government’s schemes aimed at raising their income.
He added that the government was also running campaigns to raise farmers’ awareness of new schemes to help them increase their income to the maximum.
On this occasion, the chief minister also distributed certificates of 'Meri Policy-Mera Khet' to the beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and approval letter for solar irrigation pumps to the beneficiaries of PM Kusum Yojana.
Besides, he flagged off 21 tractors for state agriculture fields.
Paying tribute to Pt Deendayal Upadhyaya, Yogi said that the double engine government stood with “annadata farmers”.
He remarked: "Today is the birth anniversary of Pt. Deendayal Upadhyayaji, the founder of Antyodaya. On this occasion, I am happy that the double engine government is standing with its annadata farmer brothers and sisters in the time of crisis. We all have faced the biggest pandemic of the century in the last two and a half years. The model of novel coronavirus management introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in India was praised all over the world. He provided free tests, free treatment and free vaccines for all, in addition to free ration to 80 crore people, maintenance allowance to the workers and the benefit of Kisan Samman Nidhi to the farmers. This happened only in India.”
The chief minister said when the world was reeling under the impact of COVID-19, there was one sector that stood firm –the agriculture sector.
He said, “There was some concern related to standing crops of wheat, but I assured farmers of getting the combine machine. Officials were directed to build a Covid help desk and provide assistance in harvesting the crop and taking it to the purchasing centres. During the pandemic, sugar mills within the country and the world at large were closed but we ran all the 119 sugar mills in the state. Trade stopped, traffic was disrupted, but one community that continued to work was that of farmers. They provided ration to every person without discrimination. It was due to the hard work of farmers that no one died of starvation during the pandemic.
The chief minister said that the income of farmers had more than doubled since 2014, when Prime Minister Modi set a target to double the income of farmers by 2022.
Yogi expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for issuing the soil health card for examining the health of mother earth, for providing insurance of crops under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and implementing the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana to contribute to completion of pending irrigation projects, all for the first time.
He said, “In Uttar Pradesh, we have completed 36 small and big irrigation projects and provided irrigation facilities to more than 21 lakh hectares of land. We completed some projects which were pending for 50 years. The prime minister dedicated the Saryu Canal Project to the nation in 2021. The project was prepared by the Planning Commission in 1973. Similarly, the Bansagar Project was prepared in 1971-72. Those who had laid the foundation stone are not there today but we have completed their project.”
Yogi remarked, “After taking over, we waived loans of up to Rs 1 lakh of small and marginal farmers. Moreover, even though the minimum support price (MSP) was announced in 1967, farmers are getting its benefit for the first time today and that too at one and a half times the cost. Furthermore, we have provided solar pumps to 27,000 farmers so far. Solar pumps are going to be made available to 30,000 farmers. We have already halved the electricity bills of farmers and now when they install solar pumps, the electricity bill will become zero.”
Emphasising that the government would ensure no loss to the farmers, the chief minister said that 62 districts of the state had received scanty rainfall this season, adding that heavy rains had also caused damage for the last 10 days.
He said that Rs 876 crore had already been sent as compensation for farmers in 12 districts of the state whose crops were damaged due to floods. He said surveys were being conducted to assess the damage caused by drought and excessive rains.
Yogi said that farmers were benefiting from different schemes of the government. He said that according to a farmer, he got Rs 18,000 under Meri Policy-Mera Khet scheme, and this suggested that if people were aware they could take maximum advantage of the government schemes.
He said that the agriculture officers should give information about the government schemes in every district. He said Krishi Vigyan Kendras were active today and agricultural universities were also joining in to boost agricultural research.
The chief minister urged farmers to adopt cow based natural farming as it had many benefits. He said that it minimised the cost of cultivation by saving the cost of fertilisers, chemicals and pesticides.
“A farmer has to spend Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000 on one acre of land whereas in natural farming, this expenditure will be limited to Rs 1000. It also ensures better output and less damage in heavy rains. Besides, natural, organic products can earn farmers better prices also. It will also help protect cows,” the chief minister pointed out.