Lucknow : Despite their dependence on nature, the farmers of Uttar Pradesh have proved their potential by producing record quantities of foodgrains, said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday, adding that the income of farmers has more than doubled since 2014 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi set the target to double farmers' income by 2022.
Distributing mini kits of progressive seeds to the farmers and speaking on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, the Chief Minister said that farmers of Uttar Pradesh are aware of the government's schemes aimed at raising their income.
He added that the government is also running campaigns to raise their awareness of the new schemes to help them increase their income to the maximum.
The Chief Minister also distributed the certificates of 'Meri Policy-Mera Khet' to the beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and an approval letter for solar irrigation pump to the beneficiaries of PM Kusum Yojana on occasion. Besides, Yogi Adityanath flagged off 21 tractors for state agriculture fields.
Paying tribute to Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, he said, "The double engine stands with "annadata farmers". Today is the birth anniversary of Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya ji, the founder of Antyodaya. On this occasion, I am happy that the double-engine government is standing with its annadata farmer brothers and sisters in the time of crisis. We all have faced the biggest pandemic of the century within the last two and a half years.
The model of novel coronavirus management introduced by Prime Minister Modi in India was praised all over the world. He provided free tests, free treatment and free vaccines for all, in addition to free rations to 80 crore people, maintenance allowance to the workers and the benefit of Kisan Samman Nidhi to the farmers. This happened only in India."
He said that when the world was reeling under the impact of Covid-19, there was one sector that stood firm, the agriculture sector. "There was some concern related to standing crop of wheat, but I assured farmers of getting the combine machine. Officials were directed to build a Covid help desk and provide assistance in harvesting the crop and taking it to the purchasing centre. During the pandemic, sugar mills within the country and the world at large were closed.
We ran all the 119 sugar mills within the state. Trade stopped, and traffic was disrupted, but one community that continued to work was that of farmers. They provided rations to every person without discrimination. It was due to the hard work of farmers that no one died of starvation during the pandemic," the CM said.
He further said that the income of farmers has more than doubled since 2014 when PM Modi set a target to double the income of farmers by 2022.
CM Yogi expressed his gratitude to PM Modi for issuing the Soil Health Card for examining the health of mother earth, for providing insurance of crops under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and for implementing the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana to contribute to the completion of pending irrigation projects all for the first time.
"Within Uttar Pradesh, we have completed 36 small and big irrigation projects and provided irrigation facilities to more than 21 lakh hectares of land. We completed some projects which were pending for 50 years. The Prime Minister dedicated the Saryu Canal Project to the nation in 2021. The project was prepared by the Planning Commission in 1973. Similarly, Bansagar Project was prepared in 1971-72. Those who had laid the foundation stone are not there today but we have completed their project," he said.
Yogi Adityanath said that the electricity bill will be reduced to zero with a solar pump. "After taking over, we waived off loans of up to Rs one lakh of small and marginal farmers. Moreover, even though MSP was announced in 1967, farmers are getting its benefit for the first time and that too at one and a half times the cost, today.
Furthermore, we have provided solar pumps to 27,000 farmers so far. Solar pumps are going to be made available to 30,000 farmers. We have already halved the electricity bill for farmers and now when they install solar pumps, the electricity bill will become zero," he said.
Emphasizing that the government will ensure no loss to the farmers, the Chief Minister said that 62 districts of the state have received scanty rainfall this season, adding that heavy rains have also caused damage for the last 10 days.
He informed that Rs 876 crore has already been sent as compensation for farmers in 12 districts of the state whose crops were damaged due to floods. Surveys are being conducted to damages caused by drought and excessive rains.
"Farmers were benefitting from different schemes of the government. He said that according to a farmer, he got Rs 18,000 under the "Meri Policy-Mera Khet' scheme, which suggested that if people are aware they can take maximum advantage of the schemes of the government," he said.
The Chief Minister said that the agriculture officers should give information about the schemes of the government in every district adding that the Krishi Vigyan Kendras are active today and agricultural universities are also joining it to boost agricultural research. He further urged farmers to adopt cow-based natural farming, which has many benefits.
"It minimises the cost of cultivation by saving the cost of fertilisers, chemicals and pesticides. A farmer has to spend Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000 on these on one acre of land whereas, in natural farming, this expenditure will be limited to Rs 1000. It also ensures better output and less damage in heavy rains. Besides, natural, and organic products can earn farmers better prices also. It will also help protect cows," the CM pointed out.