This will be a Kumbh of a different kind in which farmers and agricultural scientists from across the country will brainstorm for three days in the state capital from October 26 to search avenues for increasing the income of the farming community.
The agri-meet — Krishi Kumbh-2018 — will also be attended by Haryana and Jharkhand as partner states.
Chief Secretary Anup Chandra Pandey said that Uttar Pradesh had already organised UP Investors’ Summit 2018 and MSME conclave — One District One Product Summit— and the Krishi Kumbh would be the third important summit that will give a boost to all the three sectors, particularly ODOP.
The aim is to promote modern agricultural techniques and diversification of crops which in turn help the farmers to double their income. Over 100,000 farmers, scientists, experts and entrepreneurs are expected to take part in this three-day event.
Manish Sharma, a senior official looking after the preparations for Krishi Kumbh, said that this event would include all aspects of rural economy, such as agriculture, horticulture, dairy, pisciculture, bee-keeping, food processing, animal husbandry and farm implements to provide a holistic picture to farmers for increasing their income.
The summit seeks to introduce farmers to the evolving dynamics of farming so that they may increase their earnings by tapping the vast potential in agriculture and post harvest management of crops, he said.
Sharma said that the Bharatiya Janata Party government always advocated diversification in the farm sector as Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath believed that in present day scenario, diversification in farm sector would lead to better profits to farmers.
The Chief Minister advocates that farmers should take up vegetable growing, fruit production, horticulture, pisciculture and dairy development other than conventional farming.
In a recent meeting with a delegation of Asian Development Bank, the Chief Minister had said: “It is a beneficial effort to enhance agricultural production. Experts in this field should be roped in for wide ranging deliberations. This will also help the government in fulfilling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream to double the income of farmers by 2022.”
Sharma said the government was following the vision of the Chief Minister and the Prime Minister in totality to help the farmers to achieve the set target.
“The need is to popularise Prime Minister’s Crop Insurance Scheme and Prime Minister Agriculture Irrigation Scheme. Besides, soil health cards is helping farmers in knowing the nature of their soil,” the official said.
He said through the use of new technology, food grain production had increased in Uttar Pradesh by two million tonnes (MT) and the state claimed to have surplus food grain inventory of 10 MT.
Besides, he said, the agricultural and horticultural production had been robust, including potato, which clocked a record output of 15.5 MT.
