Agricultural growth rate of UP has shot up from 6.6% in 2016-17 to 18.2% today, says UP CM Yogi Adityanath

Lucknow(Uttar Pradesh) [India], March 2 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath listed out the achievements of his government as well as failures of the opposition parties in the field of agriculture in the Legislative Council on Wednesday.
Launching a frontal attack on the Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav during the debate on budget, CM Yogi said that he was surprised that the SP leader, who had once been the Chief Minister of the state, did not know what a Krishi Vigyan Kendra was.
He said that in 2015-16, the central government wanted to give 20 Krishi Vigyan Kendras to UP, so that farmers could get the right technology and timely seeds, but the Samajwadi Party government did not take it.
"Earlier farmers used to commit suicide and there were starvation deaths. The farmer did not get a fair price for his crop. There was a ban on selling outside the Mandi Parishad. The rate of agricultural development has shot up from 6.6 percent in 2016-17 to 18.2 percent today." UP CM said.
Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman was started by the Prime Minister in 2018 and an amount of Rs 51,649 crores is transferred directly to the accounts of 2.60 crore farmers of UP.
Stressing the importance of agriculture for Uttar Pradesh's economy, The CM said that the contribution of UP's agriculture to the country's GDP is 25 percent.
"UP has 11 percent of the country's total cultivable land. UP produces 20 percent of the country's foodgrains. UP is known as the food basket of the country and has the most fertile land and the best water resources", CM Yogi pointed out.
On the promotion of cow based agriculture, he stated that relating life-threatening diseases like cancer as well as kidney and liver failures are due to the excessive use of chemical fertilizers in cultivation of food items.
CM Yogi said that the government today is promoting cow-based agriculture for the benefit of all.
"It is currently being practiced in 85, 000 hectares in 27 districts along the banks of the Ganga, for which testing labs have been established. Testing is also being done at Krishi Vigyan Kendra", he remarked.
According to the CM, "Work is being done on irrigation projects as well. Saryu canal project, which was launched in 1972, was completed and dedicated to the nation in 2021. Similarly, provisions have been made in the budget to complete all the projects.
UP Chief Minister stated that the role of middlemen has ended in the current government.
The Chief Minister said that in 2012-17, 94 lakh metric tonnes of wheat was purchased from farmers in the state and Rs 12,800 crore was paid to them indirectly through middlemen.
"Between 2017 and 22, 219 lakh metric tonnes of wheat was purchased and Rs 40159 crore was sent to the farmers through DBT. Between 2012-17, 123 lakh metric tonnes of paddy was procured while Rs 17190 crore was paid to the farmers through agents. Between 2017 and 2022, 280 lakh metric tonnes were procured and 50420 crores were paid to the paddy farmers through DBT whereas between 2022-2023, 64.64 lakh metric tonnes of paddy was procured from 1075330 farmers and Rs 13192 crores was transferred directly to their accounts. Earlier sugar mills were sold at half price" he said.
"In the last 6 years, we have made sugarcane payments of more than Rs 1.98 lakh crores. Today, here are altogether 119 sugar mills in the state of which 100 are paying the cane prices within 10 days" he added further.
Uttar Pradesh Budget session is underway and will continue until March 10. (ANI)