UP agri dept to organise public dialogue with experts, farmers: Minister Sunny Pratap Shahi

Lucknow, Nov 13 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Agriculture department will organise a public dialogue and brainstorming session agricultural experts, scientists, progressive farmers to prepare the outline the roadmap for agricultural transformation, Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi said on Thursday.

Addressing a press conference at the Agriculture Bhawan auditorium here, Shahi said under the vision of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the state government is committed to transforming Uttar Pradesh into a developed, prosperous, and equitable state by 2047, with active participation from its citizens.

The minister announced that the agriculture department will organise a public dialogue and brainstorming session on November 17, 2025, at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan, Lucknow, in which around 300 agricultural experts, scientists, progressive farmers, and officials will participate.

In consultation with the NITI Aayog, an Agriculture Vision Document will be prepared to outline the roadmap for agricultural transformation.

Highlighting the state's contribution to India's food economy, Shahi said Uttar Pradesh accounts for 11 per cent of the country's cultivable land and 21.58 per cent of total food grain production.

The state ranks first in the production of wheat, rice, sugarcane, and potatoes, second in millets, lentils, mustard, and rapeseed, and fourth in pulses. Uttar Pradesh contributes 40.7 per cent of India's total potato output, 19.3 per cent of vegetable production, 16.2 per cent of milk production, and 8 per cent of fish production.

As per a press statement, the minister claimed that the state's Gross State Value Added (GSVA) in the agriculture sector has grown from Rs 2 lakh crore in 2016-17 to Rs 4.37 lakh crore in 2024-25.

The vision includes increasing cropping intensity from 182% to 250%, improving rice productivity from 30 to 45 quintals per hectare, wheat from 41 to 55, maize from 29 to 70, pulses from 12 to 20, and oilseeds from 13 to 22 quintals per hectare.

Organic matter in soil will be raised from 0.3 per cent to 1 per cent through the use of green manure, compost, and bio-fertilisers. Around 30 lakh hectares of barren land will be converted into cultivable areas for pulses and oilseeds to enhance rural livelihood and food security, the minister said.

That minister added that over the next five years, five seed parks will be set up, followed by four more in later phases. PTI CDN TRB