Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi claimed that under the Yogi government, the income of farmers of UP has increased from Rs 52 thousand to Rs 1.2 lakh. Sugarcane payment has accelerated, procurement at MSP has increased and a record increase in agricultural production has been recorded.
Lucknow. Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi said that under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, there has been a big improvement in the income of farmers of Uttar Pradesh. He said that the average income of farmers has increased from Rs 52 thousand to about Rs 1 lakh 20 thousand. He alleged that during Akhilesh Yadav’s government, farmers were troubled and their problems were not paid attention to.
Accusation on Akhilesh government: Delay and chaos in sugarcane payment
The Agriculture Minister said that during the time of Akhilesh Yadav, sugarcane farmers did not get payment on time. He alleged that at that time, due to nexus with the mill owners, payments to farmers were stuck for years. In many cases, sugarcane price could not be paid for 34 months.
Improvement in sugarcane payment system in Yogi government
He said that under the present government, sugarcane farmers are being paid within 8 to 10 days. Today, Uttar Pradesh’s contribution to the total sugarcane production of the country is about 55 percent, which shows the agricultural progress of the state.
Sugarcane price increased, farmers got record payment
According to the Agriculture Minister, earlier the price of sugarcane was Rs 300 per quintal and that too was paid in installments. Now Yogi government has increased it to Rs 400 per quintal. Also, a record payment of more than Rs 3 lakh 15 thousand crore has been made to the farmers.
Electricity bill waiver and expansion in irrigation facilities
He said that the state government has waived off the electricity bills of more than 16 lakh farmers. Apart from this, facilities of tube well and solar panels are being provided for irrigation. The Saryu project, pending for years, was also completed, which has increased irrigation facilities in about 14 lakh hectare area.
Increase in procurement and agricultural production on MSP
The Agriculture Minister said that the government is purchasing at Minimum Support Price (MSP), due to which farmers are getting fair prices for their crops. Agricultural production is also continuously increasing in Uttar Pradesh—about 425 lakh metric tonnes of wheat, 211 lakh metric tonnes of rice and 245 lakh metric tonnes of potatoes are being produced. A record production of 48 lakh metric tonnes has been recorded in oilseeds.
Sugar mills strengthened by ethanol production
He said that ethanol production from sugarcane has been promoted, which has made sugar mills financially stronger and payments to farmers have become easier.
Farmers’ confidence in Yogi government increased
The Agriculture Minister said that due to the policies of the present government, the confidence of farmers has increased and the state is progressing rapidly in the agriculture sector. Taking aim at the opposition, he said that no attention was paid to development works during the previous government.
Questions raised on electricity system also
He alleged that power supply was uneven during the Akhilesh government. In some districts electricity was available 24 hours a day, while in other areas there were cuts. Also at that time the electricity rates were increased by about 60 percent.