Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that farmers should adopt new technologies to increase production. At the Krishi Bharat 2024 program organized in Lucknow, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, ‘Our focus should be on advancing the agriculture sector with advanced technology. Given the many agro-climatic zones in the country, each state brings different experience. We can learn a lot from each other.’
According to a news agency, the Yogi government highlighted the importance of integrating farming with business and employing modern technology to increase the income of farmers in a four-day agriculture and technology program.
Food grains will remain safe for 6 months without cold storage
In the Krishi Bharat 2024 program, Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi and Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh took information about the gamma radiation plant. They learned how food grains and fruits will remain safe for more than 6 months without any cold storage. The Agriculture Minister said that POCT Group has set up a gamma radiation plant in Lucknow by investing Rs 200 crore in the first phase on the basis of an MoU of Rs 500 crore signed at the UP Global Investor Summit-2023. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will inaugurate it soon.
Suggestion to reduce dependency on chemical fertilizers
The Chief Minister said that although the state has 17 percent (25 crores) of India’s population and only 11 percent of the country’s cultivable land, it contributes 20 percent to the total agricultural production. He said, this achievement reflects the abundant water resources and fertile land of the state and can be used to increase production three to four times. Yogi also stressed the need to reduce the dependency on chemical fertilizers in agricultural costs and replace them with natural resources. Before the event, the CM met a delegation led by Netherlands Deputy Minister of Agriculture Jan-Kees Goet and Ambassador to India Marisa Gerards and signed two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the country.
One agreement each was for government-to-government and business-to-business cooperation. Partnering with CII for the event, the Netherlands is an official partner country, while countries like Australia, Canada, Uganda, Spain and the UK are also participating along with agricultural experts and stakeholders, the statement said.
Here, Goet said, ‘India’s agriculture sector is full of achievements and immense potential, in which it is a matter of pride for us to participate. There are many challenges around the world including climate change that need solutions. We are also sharing our expertise and learning a lot from India’s experience.’
CII President and Chairman and Managing Director of ITC Limited Sanjeev Puri described UP as a powerhouse of agriculture. He said, ‘CM Yogi has shown a new direction to agriculture. There has been a lot of progress in India’s agriculture sector… Today India is producing 330 million tonnes, up from 250 million tonnes, but there is still more scope for growth.
