Lucknow: Chief secretary Manoj Kumar Singh along with officials from the department of economic affairs, ministry of finance, led negotiations with the World Bank for the proposed Rs 3,903 crore UP Agricultural Growth and Rural Enterprise Ecosystem Strengthening (UPAGREES) project. The World Bank's board of executive directors is expected to consider project approval by mid-Dec.
During the day-long negotiations, Singh delivered a detailed presentation on the crucial role of agriculture in UP's economy and its potential to drive UP's economy towards $ 1 trillion by 2030.
The CS said that the UPAGREES project, to be implemented over the next six years, will work to modernise agriculture and allied sectors by boosting crop productivity, establishing clusters for high-value commodities and strengthening the fisheries ecosystem in the eastern and Bundelkhand regions. It will also look to develop a robust state-wide digital platform and enhance agri-finance. The CS stressed on the project's objective of positioning UP as a leading export hub by practicing global standards in production, processing and testing. Amid these plans, he also highlighted the strategic advantage of modern infrastructure, including the Jewar airport which is expected to be operational by mid-2025.
Among the points on which negotiations took place were productivity enhancement by facilitating improved access to climate-resilient inputs, optimising natural resource use and fostering innovations to increase productivity, commodity clusters to support the integration of smallholder farmers into value chains for select high-value commodities, enhancing yield, value addition and farmers' incomes and digital and financial ecosystems for developing a state-wide digital agriculture ecosystem to disseminate real-time inputs such as weather advisories and price information.
"UP's farmers can achieve great things if they are given exposure to the best national and international practices. The design of the proposed UPAGREES project seeks to integrate global knowledge and facilitate learning exchanges. With the right resources and support, we can build a robust agricultural economy that supplies high-quality produce to global markets, creating new income opportunities for our farmers," the CS said.