UP agri keen to invest in R&D

The Uttar Pradesh department of agriculture is keen to invest in research and development in the sector and has chalked out a major strategy to be followed to enhance the yield of the state's produce.

This includes setting up of Agriculture Universities across the state, along with emphasis on restoration of soil, proper irrigation and seed replacement facility to be undertaken in the state.

"In lieu to aid and support the agriculture sector, we wish to have at least five more agriculture universities in the 11th five year plan. We have decided to spend 12. 7 per cent of planned expenditure of the 11th five-year plans on agriculture, which will also include up gradation of existing agricultural colleges," Harminder Raj Singh, Principal Secretary- department of agriculture told Business Standard.

The state of Uttar Pradesh, at present has four agricultural Universities, each at Kanpur, Meerut, Faizabad and Allahabad. The state is divided into 9 agro- climatic zones on the basis of soil and climate availability.

These are Trai and Bhabar, Western Plain zone, Mid western Plain zone, South Western plain zone, Central zone, Bundelkhand, North East zone, Eastern Zone and Vindhyan Zone.

"Our purpose is to have one university at each zone, thus drawing attention for the entire state at the same time. The new places identified for the universities are Agra, Gorakhpur, Azamgarh and Jhansi," Singh added.

It should be noted that Uttar Pradesh is major producer of food grains, with 34 per cent of the country's wheat being produced in the state. The wheat production last year was recorded to be 255 lakh tons, this year target being 285 lakh tons.

"The envisaged annual growth rate for agricultural sector is 1.8 per cent; in the case of U.P. it has been 2.1 per cent, which is a healthy sign. We will also indulge colleges into research work on project basis," said Singh.