Special emphasis has been laid on agriculture, rural development and farmer welfare in UP Budget 2026. 10,888 crore for agricultural schemes, schemes like sugarcane price increase, paddy purchase at MSP, solar pumps, dairy and fishery development are important steps in increasing the income of farmers.
Lucknow. “The soul of India resides in the villages” – Based on this thinking, the Uttar Pradesh government has made villages and farmers the main axis of development in the last nine years. The government believes that when villages become strong and food-giving farmers become self-reliant, only then will both the state and the country become prosperous.
Yogi government has continuously worked on reducing the distance between cities and villages, stopping migration from rural areas and increasing local employment. Budget 2026-27 also appears to be moving in this direction. In this, agriculture, rural infrastructure and agriculture-based entrepreneurship have been promoted.
Agriculture Budget 2026-27: Provision of Rs 10,888 crore for agricultural schemes
After assuming power in 2017, the government waived off farmer loans worth Rs 36 thousand crore. Along with this, Rs 94,668.58 crore was sent to the accounts of farmers under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi by the Central Government. Through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), the money from the schemes was transferred directly to the bank accounts of the farmers, thereby eliminating the role of middlemen.
A provision of Rs 10,888 crore has been made for agricultural schemes in Budget 2026-27, which is about 20 percent more than last year. The main provisions are as follows:
- Rs 155 crore for aqua culture infrastructure and world class hatchery and training center under UP Agri project.
- Rs 245 crore for setting up Agri-export hub
- Revolving fund of Rs 75 crore for Farmer Producer Organizations (FPO)
- Rs 673.84 crore for the scheme to convert diesel pumps into solar pumps
All these steps are considered important towards technical upgradation of agriculture and increasing the income of farmers.
Rural Economy Development: Rural economy is getting new strength.
The government has implemented many schemes to strengthen the rural economy. National Mission on Natural Farming scheme is being run in 94,300 hectare area in all the districts of the state. A provision of Rs 298 crore has been made for this.
Rs 2400 crore is proposed to ensure continuous power supply to private tube wells. A provision of about Rs 103 crore has been made for Pt. Deendayal Upadhyay Kisan Samriddhi Yojana. Through these schemes, farmers are getting a strong support system and work is being done to make farming more profitable.
Sugarcane Price Hike 2026: Record payment and increased prices to sugarcane farmers
After 2017, a big change has been seen in the condition of sugarcane farmers. The government has made a record sugarcane price payment of over Rs 3.04 lakh crore so far. The price of sugarcane has been increased by Rs 30 per quintal for the crushing season 2025-26.
- Early variety: Rs 400 per quintal
- Common variety: Rs 390 per quintal
With this increase, farmers will get additional benefits of about Rs 3,000 crore. This is the fourth time during the tenure of Yogi government that sugarcane price has been increased. This will also provide new energy to the rural economy.
Dairy & Fisheries Development: New initiative for dairy and fish farmers
The government has also promoted dairy and fisheries. Dairy development program is being run through 19 milk unions in the state. By expanding the proposed dairy project of 30 thousand liters in Mathura, there is now a proposal to set up a dairy plant with a capacity of 1 lakh liters per day.
Special emphasis has also been laid on strengthening and revitalization of milk unions. A provision of Rs 2,000 crore has been made to solve the problem of stray cattle. Other than this:
- Free oilseed seed minikit to 36.87 lakh farmers
- Installation of approximately 83 thousand solar pumps
- Construction of about 32 thousand farm ponds
- Distribution of more than 2.46 lakh agricultural equipment
- Participation of about 2 crore farmers in Kisan Pathshala
These initiatives have brought positive changes in the living standards of farmers.
MSP and paddy procurement 2025-26: Direct benefits to farmers
The government is ensuring the economic strength of the farmers through the paddy procurement campaign. The government is purchasing paddy at Minimum Support Price (MSP) and payment is being made directly into bank accounts through DBT. Till 12 noon on 18 February 2026, 12.78 lakh farmers have registered. 60.98 lakh metric tonnes of paddy has been purchased from more than 10.17 lakh farmers through 4,869 purchasing centres. Due to this, farmers are getting payment on time and transparency has increased.
Expert Opinion: Direction to make farmers partners and not beneficiaries
According to farmer leader Ravindra Kumar Singh, the government has worked on the ground by making villages and farmers the basis of prosperity. Efforts are being made to link agriculture with modern technology and entrepreneurship.
He said that for the inclusive development of any state, it is necessary that farmers should not depend only on government grants, but should participate equally in the economy. Government policies are helping in reducing the gap between village and city and stopping migration.