Lucknow: With agriculture high on its agenda ahead of the state elections early next year, the Yogi Adityanath govt has approved an additional Rs 160 crore for the farming sector in the current fiscal, focusing on seed production, storage and distribution, and on promoting improved agricultural technologies.Of the total allocation, Rs 150 crore has been cleared for seed-related components, including seed-based schemes, seed storage infrastructure, foodgrain seeds, and the cost of pulse and oilseed seeds. Officials said the funds are aimed at ensuring farmers get improved-quality seeds on time, while also strengthening systems for storage and distribution across the state.The remaining outlay—over Rs 10 crore—has been sanctioned for a scheme titled ‘Intervention of Improved Agricultural Technologies for Transforming Agriculture in Uttar Pradesh for Enhancing Farmers Income’.The agriculture department said the programme is designed to push wider adoption of improved farm technologies, linking technological intervention with higher productivity and better farm incomes.According to officials, the technology-focused allocation is expected to expand the use of newer practices among farmers, making cultivation more efficient and improving output per hectare. The govt has increasingly sought to recalibrate agricultural policy from only boosting production to improving productivity, addressing input constraints and enhancing farmers’ economic returns.Taken together, the two approvals signal a twin-track strategy—improving the availability of a critical input through better seed supply, while also boosting on-farm productivity through technology adoption. Officials said timely seed availability remains crucial as delays can disrupt sowing schedules and directly affect crop output.The govt’s emphasis on seed storage also underlines a push to strengthen logistics and institutional capacity around agricultural inputs, rather than focusing only on procurement or distribution, a senior agriculture department official said.
