UP plans big push for irrigation and agri e-trade
NEW DELHI: The Yogi Adityanath government will give a big push to irrigation, cut input costs and encourage e-trade in farm commodities in Uttar Pradesh, said the state agriculture minister Surya Pratap Shahi.
Economists and government officials said agricultural growth in the fertile plains of the state can gallop with effective steps and close coordination between the state government and the Centre. The state can become India’s next grain bowl, a senior government official said.
Bringing down cost of production, increasing yields, increasing the number of purchase centres and ensuring that farmers get remunerative price is the government’s priority, said Shahi.
More than 125 wholesale mandis will be linked with electronic national agriculture market (e-NAM) in the next two months, he said, up from current 85 mandis enrolled to ensure farmers get better price for their produce.
Further, to encourage participation of traders and ensure cartels are not formed in e-NAM, the minister said the state may reduce the licence fee ofRs 1 lakh for traders. Currently, only 125 traders have got licence for trading on e-NAM.
Shahi said he is aware that the crop yields are low and farmers are bearing increasing cost of production. New breeder and certified seeds will be provided to farmers, irrigation facility will be expanded and coverage under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) will be enhanced, he said, adding that this will strengthen infrastructure of agriculture testing labs and increase the number from 30 at present to 75 in the next one year.
Ahead of the wheat harvest season, the state’s Pradeshik Cooperative Federation will add 300 purchase centres to touch 3,000 to ensure that farmers get the minimum support price (MSP) for the commodity, said Shahi. He said that the state agriculture marketing board will also set up 170 centres to procure wheat.
This is a good move because in the absence of the government’s intervention, farmers in UP usually sell their produce at 10-25% less than MSP, said Ashok Gulati, agricultural economist and former chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices.
Gulati said he expects a revolution in the agriculture sector in the state, with the Centre and the state working closely to implement schemes.
“UP has the potential to double its agriculture growth. I also expect that they will be able to alleviate poverty and farmers misery much earlier,” said Gulati. He said the state should increase milk processing capacity and ensure farmers get MSP for crops.
Ramesh Chand, a member of NITI Aayog, said that UP can be the next food grain bowl of the country, with the state focusing on increasing crop yield and ensuring farmers get remunerative prices. “UP is like a country and not a state, being a major grower of wheat, paddy, sugarcane, mustard, chickpea and potato. The climate is good for diversification and I am confident that the state will take the sector to great heights,” said Chand.
Economists and government officials said agricultural growth in the fertile plains of the state can gallop with effective steps and close coordination between the state government and the Centre. The state can become India’s next grain bowl, a senior government official said.
Bringing down cost of production, increasing yields, increasing the number of purchase centres and ensuring that farmers get remunerative price is the government’s priority, said Shahi.
More than 125 wholesale mandis will be linked with electronic national agriculture market (e-NAM) in the next two months, he said, up from current 85 mandis enrolled to ensure farmers get better price for their produce.
Further, to encourage participation of traders and ensure cartels are not formed in e-NAM, the minister said the state may reduce the licence fee ofRs 1 lakh for traders. Currently, only 125 traders have got licence for trading on e-NAM.
Shahi said he is aware that the crop yields are low and farmers are bearing increasing cost of production. New breeder and certified seeds will be provided to farmers, irrigation facility will be expanded and coverage under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) will be enhanced, he said, adding that this will strengthen infrastructure of agriculture testing labs and increase the number from 30 at present to 75 in the next one year.
Ahead of the wheat harvest season, the state’s Pradeshik Cooperative Federation will add 300 purchase centres to touch 3,000 to ensure that farmers get the minimum support price (MSP) for the commodity, said Shahi. He said that the state agriculture marketing board will also set up 170 centres to procure wheat.
This is a good move because in the absence of the government’s intervention, farmers in UP usually sell their produce at 10-25% less than MSP, said Ashok Gulati, agricultural economist and former chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices.
Gulati said he expects a revolution in the agriculture sector in the state, with the Centre and the state working closely to implement schemes.
“UP has the potential to double its agriculture growth. I also expect that they will be able to alleviate poverty and farmers misery much earlier,” said Gulati. He said the state should increase milk processing capacity and ensure farmers get MSP for crops.
Ramesh Chand, a member of NITI Aayog, said that UP can be the next food grain bowl of the country, with the state focusing on increasing crop yield and ensuring farmers get remunerative prices. “UP is like a country and not a state, being a major grower of wheat, paddy, sugarcane, mustard, chickpea and potato. The climate is good for diversification and I am confident that the state will take the sector to great heights,” said Chand.
