A high-stakes agricultural summit kicks off tomorrow in Lucknow, uniting policymakers and experts from nine northern states to address pressing farmer challenges. The Uttar Zone Regional Agriculture Conference, backed by the central farmers’ welfare ministry, unfolds at Central Hotel on April 24 (Friday).
Key attendees include agriculture and horticulture ministers, senior bureaucrats, FPO leaders, innovative farmers, agricultural scientists, and Union officials from UP, Haryana, Himachal, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh, J&K, Ladakh, Punjab, and Delhi. The opening ceremony boasts UP CM Yogi Adityanath, Union Agri Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and MoS Bhagirath Choudhary and Ramnath Thakur.
UP Agriculture Minister Sury Pratap Shahi briefed media at Lok Bhavan, outlining the agenda. Topics range from loan disbursals and KCC to infra fund utilization, startups, NABARD collaborations, processing advancements, horticulture opportunities, pulse missions, seed and procurement systems, irrigation tech, and oilseed initiatives.
States will present success stories: UP’s sugarcane intercropping and DSR technique, Punjab’s paddy diversification, Himachal-Uttarakhand’s horti-models. Battles against spurious inputs, balanced nutrition, and organic alternatives will dominate talks.
Policy brainstorming for the zone aims at financially empowering farmers. On fertilizers, Shahi confirmed ample stocks—over 20 lakh MT total, 11.5 lakh MT urea—in UP. A dhaincha seed distribution drive targets 20% urea savings.
As climate and market pressures mount, this forum could redefine northern India’s agri-landscape, prioritizing income doubling and self-reliance.
