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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said that scientists working in laboratories, ICR, agricultural universities, and Krishi Vigyan Kendras will for the first time go to

the fields to work directly with farmers and help tackle agricultural challenges. Launching the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday, the CM said, “The main goal of

the campaign is to take research ‘from lab to land.’ Agricultural scientists will not only carry out research in labs but will also visit farms and interact with farmers. This will spark a

new revolution in the agriculture sector. The work being done in research centres should be clearly visible on the ground.” Advertisement Notably, the campaign will run from May 29 to June

12. The Chief Minister expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for initiating this important step. He also paid tribute

to former Prime Minister and ‘messiah’ of farmers Chaudhary Charan Singh on his death anniversary. Advertisement CM Yogi said that agriculture will be the foundation for realising PM Modi’s

vision of a developed India. Agricultural scientists, officials of the agriculture department, and farmers involved in horticulture, farming, dairy, and fisheries will provide modern

information about farming. As part of this innovative initiative, scientists will study the climatic zones based on geographical and social conditions and will also inform farmers about how

early and late seed varieties affect production. CM Yogi said that in the past eight years, the double-engine government in Uttar Pradesh has actively worked to improve the lives of farmers.

He emphasised that the state has immense potential in agriculture, as it holds about 10–11% of the country’s cultivable land but contributes around 22–23% of India’s total food grain

production. He criticised previous governments, stating that farmers were never a priority in their agenda. Farmers lacked access to quality seeds, fair MSP rates, timely fertilisers,

irrigation facilities, modern technology, and soil health management. “There was no focus on reducing farming costs and increasing productivity,” he added. The Chief Minister said that

farming is a top priority on Prime Minister Modi’s agenda. Over the past 11 years, the agriculture sector in India has seen major changes. He highlighted initiatives like the Soil Health

Card campaign and said that farmers are now benefiting from schemes such as the PM Crop Insurance Scheme, PM Irrigation Scheme, Minimum Support Price (MSP), and the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi. He

added that farmers are being connected with modern technology. In 2014–15, wheat prices were below Rs 1,000 per quintal, but today the MSP is Rs 2,425, and some farmers have even sold wheat

at Rs 2,800 in the market. This, he said, is clear evidence of the positive changes in farmers’ lives. The Chief Minister further said that irrigation facilities have significantly improved

in Uttar Pradesh. Over 15 lakh farmers have received free connections for their individual tube wells, and the state government deposits Rs 2,500 crore every year to support this

initiative. Major projects like the Saryu Canal National Project, Bansagar Project, and Arjun Sahayak have helped provide additional irrigation to 23 lakh hectares of land under the

double-engine government. He added that Centres of Excellence have been established to boost agricultural development. He also pointed out that the previous governments were not keen on

promoting Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), but as soon as Surya Pratap Shahi became the Agriculture Minister, he successfully helped establish 20 new KVKs. Today, 89 KVKs are active in the

state. The Chief Minister further mentioned that a fifth agricultural university in Uttar Pradesh will be established in Kushinagar, named after Lord Buddha. These KVKs are providing farmers

with access to new technology and information about improved seeds. The state’s agricultural universities have also emerged as key centres for innovation and research, helping drive the

state’s progress. “Farmers in UP are now increasing their income. Before 2017, it was common to hear about farmers setting their fields on fire in frustration because they didn’t receive

payment slips or sugarcane dues for years. Their anger reflected the failures of previous governments,” he said. He added that from 1996 to 2017 (a span of 22 years), the total sugarcane

payment was less than what the current government has paid in just 8 years — Rs 2,85,000 crore, which is Rs 72,000 crore more. He highlighted that earlier, sugar mills were shutting down,

but under his government, closed mills have been revived and new ones have been established. Unlike before 2017, when sugar mills were shutting down, now investors are coming forward with

proposals to set up new mills. The Chief Minister also expressed his vision of making Uttar Pradesh a one-trillion-dollar economy in the next four years. To achieve this, a new initiative

focused on transforming the agriculture sector is being launched. He mentioned the “UP Agris” project and praised the progress made by farmers in western Uttar Pradesh, who adopted modern

technology and high-yield seeds, reduced costs, and increased productivity. However, he noted that farmers in central and eastern UP lagged behind in these areas. To bridge this gap, the

state government has expanded a Rs 4,000 crore World Bank-funded project this year, which will cover 28 districts in the Purvanchal, Bundelkhand, and Vindhya regions. Advertisement