The Uttar Pradesh government has placed a significant emphasis on increasing farmers’ income through crop diversification in which horticulture and vegetable farming will play the most crucial role alongside traditional farming.

With nine agro-climatic zones, the state has ample potential for this diversification.

In a meeting of the Rajya Mandi Parishad held late in the evening on Thursday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath issued directives to establish tissue culture laboratories at the four agricultural and technological universities across Uttar Pradesh. These laboratories aim to ensure high-quality planting of horticultural crops, with funding provided by the Mandi Parishad.

Additionally, the chief minister emphasised the need to establish a horticulture college in Raebareli, officials here on Friday confirmed.

UP Horticulture Minister Dinesh Singh stated that land has already been identified for the horticulture college in the village of Padhera in Harcharanpur, Raebareli. The Agriculture Department has transferred this land to the Horticulture Department. Funds have also been released for the first phase of work. Along with degree courses, short-term training courses will also be offered.

What is noteworthy is that due to the continuous efforts of the state government, fruit, and vegetable farming is becoming a field of possibilities for the farmers in the state. This new initiative by the government will further enhance the potential of this region.

According to the 2023 Agroforestry Report, UP’s share in fruit and vegetable farming has increased from 7.2 per cent to 9.2 per cent over the past decade. Correspondingly, the Gross Value Output (GVO) from these has risen from Rs 20.6 thousand crore to Rs 38 thousand crore.

According to the target set up by the state government, by 2027, the area under horticultural crops is to be increased from 11.6 per cent to 16 per cent, and food processing from 6 per cent to 20 per cent. For the processing units required to achieve this, there will be a substantial need for fruits and vegetables as raw materials.

To meet this target, the government will establish Centers of Excellence, Mini Centers of Excellence, or high-tech nurseries in every district within the specified timeframe. Work is already underway in this regard. The government intends to have such infrastructure in place in every district by 2027.

Due to the incentives received from the government and these very possibilities, in the past 7 years, the area under fruit and vegetable cultivation has increased by more than 101,000 hectares, and the yield has grown by over 0.7 per cent. To ensure that farmers receive high-quality planting material, Indo-Israel Centers of Excellence for fruits and vegetables have been established in Basti and Kannauj, respectively, officials said.