'UP To Become Global Food Basket, Agriculture Key To Achieving $1 Trillion Economy Goal By 2029–30': CM Yogi

Varanasi, October 6: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Monday, said that Uttar Pradesh is moving ahead with the resolve to become a global food basket, playing a pivotal role in achieving the target of a $1 trillion state economy by 2029–30. He was addressing the Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) Conclave held at the International Rice Research Institute’s (IRRI) South Asia Regional Centre in Varanasi.

The Chief Minister said that if quality seeds and technology are provided on time, Uttar Pradesh can produce three times more than its current output. He added that Centers of Excellence will be established in collaboration with international institutions like IRRI and the International Potato Center (CIP) to promote research-based agricultural growth.

Highlighting the state’s agricultural potential, Yogi Adityanath noted that India has 170 million hectares of cultivable land, 60% of which is irrigated, while Uttar Pradesh alone produces 21% of the country’s food grains despite having only 11% of the land area and 17% of the population. “UP leads in the cultivation of paddy, wheat, sugarcane, potatoes, pulses, and oilseeds,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that revolutionary changes have taken place in the farm sector over the past 11 years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, linking farmers with initiatives such as Soil Health Cards, crop insurance, PM Krishi Sinchai Yojana, MSP at 1.5 times the cost, and the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi.

Referring to Uttar Pradesh’s heritage, Yogi said that Kala Namak rice, which was offered by Lord Buddha 3,000 years ago, is being promoted globally as Lord Buddha’s Prasad. He added that rice cultivation in the state has an 8,000-year-old history, with ancient inscriptions from Thanjavur and Ramanathapuram highlighting India’s advanced agricultural tradition.

After independence, Uttar Pradesh’s food grain production increased from 11.77 million tonnes to 60 million tonnes, while the cultivated area expanded from 17 million hectares to 24 million hectares.

The Chief Minister also announced the establishment of a 250-acre seed park in Lucknow, to be named after former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, for producing improved seeds suited to climate change. He also expressed hope for the early establishment of an International Potato Center in Agra.

During the conclave, a battery-operated e-seeder and a precision hill seeder developed by IRRI and JNVV were unveiled, along with publications on direct seeding of rice, zero-tillage wheat, and the Samriddhi Rice Network.

CM Yogi urged scientists to take research “from labs to land,” ensuring that new technologies directly benefit farmers. Uttar Pradesh currently cultivates 7 million hectares of rice, 10 million hectares of wheat, and 2.9 million hectares of sugarcane, along with extensive pulses and oilseed crops.

On this occasion, State Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi, State Minister Ravindra Jaiswal, Dayashankar Mishra Dayalu, Baldev Singh Aulakh, Principal Secretary Agriculture Ravindra Kumar, DG Eri Yvonne Pinto and DG CIP Dr Simon Heck, Sri Lankan Agriculture Secretary DB Wickremesinghe, Director ISARC Dr Sudhanshu Singh along with a large number of agricultural scientists and public representatives were present.