Lucknow, May 29 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said that, for the first time, scientists working in laboratories, agricultural universities, and Krishi Vigyan Kendras will go into the fields to work directly with farmers and help tackle agricultural challenges.

Launching the 'Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan' in UP, he 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 centers should be clearly visible on the ground,” he said.

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.

"Agricultural scientists, officials of the agriculture department and farmers involved in horticulture, farming, dairy, and fisheries will provide modern information about farming during the campaign. 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," he said.

Adityanath said that in the past eight years, the double-engine government in the state 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 per cent of the country’s cultivable land but contributes around 22–23 per cent 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 fertilizers, irrigation facilities, modern technology, and soil health management.

“There was no focus on reducing farming costs and increasing productivity,” he added. 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.

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.

The chief minister further mentioned that a fifth agricultural university in Uttar Pradesh will be established in Kushinagar, named after Lord Buddha.

“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, now investors are coming forward with proposals to set up new mills. 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.

The Chief Minister highlighted climate change as a major challenge. He mentioned that while the monsoon may arrive 15–20 days early, there is a possibility of a 1.5 to 2-month dry spell in between.

Strategies to face such situations must be prepared in advance. He explained that such unpredictable weather can affect production — good seeds planted on time can yield well, but even a one-month delay can reduce output by up to 30 per cent.PTI ABN ANU