Agriculture will be foundation for realising PM Modi's vision of developed India: Yogi

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

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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 visible on the ground."

It may be noted that the campaign will run from May 29 to June 12.

Yogi expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for initiating this important step. He also paid his tribute to the former Prime Minister and 'messiah' of farmers Chaudhary Charan Singh, on his death anniversary.

He said that agriculture will be the foundation for realising PM Modi's vision of a developed India. "Agricultural scientists, officials of the agriculture department, 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," he said.

The CM said that in the past eight years, the double-engine government in UP 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.

Criticising previous governments, he said that farmers were never a priority on 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 said.