Lucknow: After the infrastructure boost of the Purvanchal Expressway, eastern Uttar Pradesh is set to get another boost from the Yogi Adityanath government in the form of Potato Center of Excellence in Kushinagar to promote potato cultivation.
Yogi government is taking effective steps to promote potato cultivation in eastern Uttar Pradesh. Under this, Potato Excellence Center will be started in Kasaya area of ​​Kushinagar. Farmers will get the benefit of this and with the increase in production, their income will also increase. In this center, research related to potato quality, better varieties and new varieties for industrial use, and improved seeds will be done. According to the state government, the foundation stone of the center will be laid soon. The government has included this in its 100-day action plan. With this, high=quality seeds will be easily available to the farmers. Farmers will get information about the new technology of potato cultivation like better and new varieties for industrial use and improved seed research will be done in this center. Along with this, plans can also be made to protect the potato crop from diseases.
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Along with this workshops will be organized from time to time, in which farmers will be able to discuss their problems with agricultural experts and get their solutions. Let us tell you that potato cultivation is very less in eastern Uttar Pradesh, but some districts of western UP are considered as the stronghold of potato cultivation.
Let us inform that earlier, the Yogi government has announced to set up 825 FPOs, block-wise, in the state to double the income of the farmers. With this step of the government, farmers will get a better price for their crops, then they will be able to get rid of the trap of middlemen. A budget provision of Rs 354.75 crore has been made for this. At the same time, 4 lakh farmers of UP will get the benefit. By doing organized farming, farmers will be able to get a better price for their produce. The state government is going to select a special crop for every block in 100 days, whose cultivation will be promoted.
UP is the largest producer of potatoes in the country with about crop output of about 160 lakh tonnes in the year 2022. However, the maximum contribution comes from Agra, Farrukhabad, Kannuaj, Firozabad and adjoining districts of western UP.
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