New Delhi:
Amid widespread agitation against the three central farm laws in Punjab and Haryana, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday asserted that the farmers’ welfare and the growth of agriculture sector in the state are his government’s top priorities.
Enlisting a slew of pro-farmer measures by his government in Uttar Pradesh, the chief minister said his government ensured the crop procurement without any disruption even amid the coronavirus lockdown.
Addressing an online CII event, Yogi Adityanath pointed out that 119 sugar mills functioned successfully in Uttar Pradesh following all anti-Covid precautions and protocols.
The chief minister said as the Rabi crop in UP got ready for harvesting amid the lockdown, the state government set up 6,000 procurement centres to help farmers sell their produce and these centres functioned successfully adhering to all precautions.
He said these centres procured 36 lakh metric tonnes of wheat.
For the Kharif crop too, 4,000 procurement centres have been established, he noted.
The state government has also decided to build over 5,000 godowns at the grassroots level in the next four years to store farm produce, he said.
The chief minister also apprised the CII of a unique variety of rice, known as Kala Namak grown in eastern Uttar Pradesh districts, including Siddharthnagar, and the government’s efforts to promote it on the lines of Basmati rice.
A scheme has been prepared by various research institutes to promote the Kala Namak variety of rice, he said.
As many as 92 per cent farmers in the state are marginal and for their economic development it is important to recognise their efforts, he noted.
He said the state government has started work in this direction.
