Lucknow: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath emphasized the need to enhance agricultural self-reliance in the face of global disruptions that have revealed vulnerabilities in food and energy supply chains. Speaking at the 6th Uttar Pradesh Agricultural Science Congress, he pointed out the risks posed by uncertain international supply chains, fluctuating fertilizer prices, and the volatile availability of petroleum products from external sources.
“In such a scenario, an agriculture-based country like India must strengthen its traditional farming systems with modern technology,” said Yogi. He highlighted the importance of establishing a resilient local ecosystem that covers production, processing, and distribution to mitigate the impact of global crises, ensure higher farmer incomes, and promote economic stability.
Yogi outlined a roadmap for the sector, emphasizing the need for agriculture to transition from production to productivity, profitability, and ultimately to prosperity, aligning farmer welfare with the vision of a self-reliant developed India. He praised Uttar Pradesh’s agricultural performance, noting that despite having only 11% of the country’s cultivable land, the state supports 16%-17% of India’s population and contributes about 21% to total foodgrain production. He attributed this success to policy interventions, scientific practices, and the efforts of farmers, leading to an increase in the state’s agricultural growth rate from 8% to around 18%.
Reflecting on India’s historical economic strength, Yogi recalled the country’s significant share in the global economy due to its strong agrarian base. He underscored the importance of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, drones, and satellite systems in revolutionizing agriculture by enabling real-time crop monitoring, disease detection, precision spraying, and weather-based decision-making. Yogi also advocated for natural farming as a sustainable solution that reduces input costs while maintaining soil health and ecological balance.
Addressing market reforms, Yogi highlighted digital agriculture platforms and initiatives such as “One Nation, One Mandi,” which aim to improve market access and reduce mandi fees to benefit farmers. He called for a shift from the traditional “lab to land” approach to a “land is lab” model, promoting direct collaboration between farmers and scientists in the field to drive innovation.
Yogi praised reforms in the sugarcane sector, noting significant reductions in payment delays with most sugar mills in the state clearing dues within a week. He highlighted the expansion of irrigation coverage to 85%-86% of agricultural land, attributing the progress to projects like the Saryu Canal National Project, which has brought irrigation to nearly 14 lakh hectares.
Taking a veiled swipe at previous governments, Yogi criticized the inefficiencies, weak procurement systems, and delayed payments that plagued the agriculture sector before 2017. He assured that the current government has prioritized procurement at Minimum Support Price and direct payments through Direct Benefit Transfer, instilling confidence in farmers.
During the event, Yogi honored 15 scientists under the Uttar Pradesh Krishi Vaigyanik Samman Yojana 2025-26, along with 30 scientists from the Uttar Pradesh Academy of Agricultural Sciences. The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Dr. Satya Prakash of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut.
