‘One Block, One Crop’ initiative in UP

In a significant step towards achieving the goal of transforming Uttar Pradesh’s economy into a one trillion-dollar economy, the state government has launched the ‘One Block, One Crop’ initiative.

The programme aims to boost the cultivation, processing, marketing, branding, and export of region-specific horticultural crops across different agro-climatic zones in the state.

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UP Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Horticulture, Agricultural Marketing, Agricultural Foreign Trade, and Agricultural Export, Dinesh Pratap Singh, said here on Sunday that the programme will promote high-value and specialty crops at the block level based on the suitability of agro-climatic conditions.

He emphasised the increasing trend of horticultural farming in the state, noting that in the past six to seven years, more than 3 lakh hectares have been brought under fruit and vegetable cultivation, resulting in an increase of over 211 lakh metric tonnes in production.

Singh highlighted that horticulture plays a crucial role in the economic development of Uttar Pradesh. Under the ‘One Block, One Crop’ scheme, efforts will be made to integrate farmers into a complete crop-based value chain in selected areas. This, in turn, is expected to enhance farmers’ incomes and strengthen the state’s agricultural export potential.

To ensure effective implementation, the government will observe a ‘One Block, One Crop Week’ from August 4 to August 8, 2025. During this week, seminars and awareness programs will be conducted at the district and block levels. These seminars will be chaired by the Divisional Deputy Directors of Horticulture. A state-level coordination committee has also been formed to monitor and coordinate with district and divisional officials.

The Minister stated that the seminars will include participation from farmers, exporters, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), representatives from agriculture and allied departments, mandi councils, marketing and export promotion agencies, and other key stakeholders. Farmers will be provided with information about departmental schemes, technical know-how, processing techniques, quality standards, packaging, and export opportunities related to the selected crops.

He directed all district horticulture officers to ensure the smooth organisation of seminars based on the selected crops in their respective development blocks and to report progress to the Directorate of Horticulture in a timely manner.