Jewar airport will serve as lifeline for UP's agri produce, says Dinesh Pratap Singh

Dinesh Pratap Singh

Terming Jewar airport as a 'lifeline' for state's produce, Minister of State (Independent Charge) in Uttar Pradesh government, Dinesh Pratap Singh said the airport will play a significant role in making the state a global agri hub.

Speaking at UP Tech Next Electronics and Semiconductor Summit in Lucknow, the minister said there is a lot of room for innovation in the domain of agriculture. " Like other fields which has witnessed significant growth with technological advancement, there is immense potential in agriculture too," remarked the minister. "There’s lot of scope of progress still left in agriculture and horticulture sectors compared to the technological advancement in other sectors," stated Singh.

Reflecting upon UP's agri output, Singh said: "We need to increase ethe shelf life of our produce. We are a landlocked state, without waterways.. so our transportation cost is more. Hence, we need to increase shelf life of our produce."

"We have set up two centres of excellence in each of UP’s 75 districts. Earlier we were able to give 78 lakh saplings that need low water consumption to farmers. We took help from Israel for technology transfer and today 29 crore such plants we are able to give to our farmers," quipped the minister.

The minister also emphasised the need for a sorting and treatment facility  near Jewar airport -- a  facility which will help to certify the state's  farm produce as per the requirement and quality standards of the importing countries.

Earlier this year, the Uttar Pradesh government has announced a robust Rs 8.08 lakh crore budget for the financial year 2025-26, prioritising critical sectors like education, healthcare, and agriculture.

The agriculture and rural development sector has been allocated Rs 89,353 crore, accounting for 11% of the budget. The funds will support various initiatives, including horticulture, animal husbandry, dairy, fisheries, cooperatives, rural development, and the Namami Gange project. With a commitment to enhancing rural water supply, the state aims to uplift its agricultural and rural communities, fostering sustainable growth in these areas.