Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that the most effective way to give a new leap to the agricultural sector of Uttar Pradesh is to implement ‘oilseed and pulse-based intercropping with sugarcane’ on a large scale.
He said, “This model has the capacity not just to double but to ‘multiply manifold’ the income of sugarcane farmers.”
The Chief Minister was chairing a high-level meeting on this subject on Monday. He said that intercropping high-value crops like mustard, lentil, urad and moong along with sugarcane provides farmers with additional production, lower costs and stable income throughout the year, thereby strengthening their economic condition.
The Chief Minister added, “Horizontal expansion of cultivable land in the state is no longer possible; to achieve the target of a trillion-dollar economy, the only way to increase production is to enhance crop output per unit area.”
He said, “Sugarcane-based intercropping is the new model for the agricultural future of Uttar Pradesh. This model provides farmers with higher production, higher income and protection from risk, all at the same time.”
The Chief Minister directed that this plan be implemented in mission mode from the year 2026-27 to 2030-31. At present, sugarcane is cultivated over 29.50 lakh hectares in the state, which includes 14.64 lakh hectares of newly sown area and 14.86 lakh hectares under ratoon crop.
He said, “Adding oilseed and pulse intercropping in such a large area will lead to a significant increase in production and will also provide new strength to self-reliance in oilseeds and pulses at the state and national level.”
The Chief Minister instructed that the selection of intercrops should be done on scientific and practical grounds through Krishi Vigyan Kendras and Krishi Vishvavidyalaya.
As per the recommendations of IISER, he suggested giving priority to mustard and lentil in the Rabi season and urad and moong in the Zaid season.
The Chief Minister instructed, “Additional crops, additional profit and additional security without affecting sugarcane yield are the greatest strengths of this model. He asked for a year-wise roadmap to be prepared for this plan. “
The Chief Minister said this additional production will directly increase farmers’ income and make a major contribution to the state’s GVA.
He also added, “The framework for assistance and subsidy should be clearly defined for the successful implementation of the scheme.”
The Chief Minister further added, “Large-scale adoption of intercrops will provide farmers with faster cash flow and reduce the risk of single-crop dependency, making agriculture more stable and sustainable.”
He said that this plan should not be limited to the benefits of farmers associated only with the sugarcane sector but should be implemented as a transformation of the broader agricultural landscape of the state.
