Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna on Monday informed the House that three new schemes are being started by the state government to encourage agriculture.

These are the State Agriculture Development Scheme, World Bank Assisted Agri Scheme and establishment of automatic weather stations and automatic rain gauges in the development blocks and Gram Panchayats of the state, for which provisions of Rs 200 crore and Rs 60 crore are proposed respectively.

The Mukhyamantri Khet Suraksha Yojana is also set to begin, for which an allocation of Rs 50 crores has been made.

The total reported area in the state is 241.70 lakh hectares, out of which cultivation is being done in 160.95 lakh hectares. The Yogi Government has set a target of achieving a 5.1 per cent growth rate of the agriculture sector in the state.

Rs 2400 crore is proposed for supplying electricity to private tube wells of farmers at concessional rates, which is 25 per cent up compared to the current financial year.

Rs 449 crore 45 lakh is proposed for the implementation of PM KUSUM Yojana, which is more than double as compared to the current financial year.

The ban on giving new private tubewell connections in the dark zone has been lifted, which directly benefited about one lakh farmers.

The benefit of seasonal tariff and facility of temporary electricity connection was provided for irrigation of Rabi crop in Bundelkhand region.

In the year 2023-2024, about 37 lakh Kisan Credit Cards were issued till October 2023.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, compensation of Rs 831 crore was given to about 10 lakh insured farmers until October 2023 for the financial year 2022-2023.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, an amount of about Rs 63,000 crore was transferred to the accounts of 2 crore 62 lakh farmers through DBT by December 2023.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan-Dhan Yojana, small and marginal farmers of the state are provided with a fixed monthly pension of Rs 3000 – both men and women – upon attaining the age of 60 years.

A record sugarcane price payment of more than Rs 2 lakh 33 thousand 793 crore was made to about 46 lakh sugarcane farmers by the present government from the year 2017 to January 29, 2024. This sugarcane price payment is Rs 20,274 crore more than the combined sugarcane price payment of Rs 2 lakh 1 thousand 519 crore in the previous 22 years.

For the crushing season 2023-2024, the price of early maturing sugarcane varieties has been increased from Rs 350 to Rs 370, of common varieties from Rs 340 to Rs 360 and of unsuitable varieties from Rs 335 to Rs 355 per quintal.

Under Narendra Dev University of Agriculture and Technology, Ayodhya, the teaching and learning work of Agricultural College, Gonda, has started from the academic session 2023-2024.

Rs 100 crore is proposed for various new courses in agricultural and technological universities and colleges. Rs 100 crore is proposed for the establishment of Mahatma Buddha Agricultural and Technological University, Kushinagar.