In a major push to boost farmers’ income and strengthen the horticulture sector, the Uttar Pradesh government is focusing on expanding the cultivation of fruits and vegetables, improving the quality of produce, and promoting value addition through processing.

Officials here on Wednesday confirmed the government aims to increase the area under horticulture crops from the current 11.6% to 16% by 2027. Simultaneously, the state has set a goal to raise the processing of horticultural produce from 6% to 20% within the same timeframe.

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To meet these targets, the state has planned an investment of Rs 11,000 crore to encourage mega food processing units and develop the necessary infrastructure to support them. A key contributor to this initiative is the PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme, which continues to play a vital role in facilitating the growth of food processing activities across the state.

Officials said maintaining consistent moisture is essential for horticulture crops. Understanding the importance of water in getting better yield with less usage, the Yogi government is actively promoting efficient irrigation methods like drip and sprinkler systems. Along with this, farmers are being given substantial subsidies to adopt these techniques.

During the first term of the Yogi Adityanath government, only 2.64% of horticulture farms were covered under drip and sprinkler irrigation. Now, the target is to increase this coverage to 9% (around 10 lakh hectares) by 2027.

To further increase yield and improve quality, the availability of disease-free, high-quality plant varieties is also crucial. That’s why the government is setting up two Centres of Excellence in each district, dedicated to different fruits and vegetables. These centres, either already established or proposed, are being developed with the support of countries like Israel and the Netherlands, and are expected to play a key role in transforming horticulture across the state.

The UP government is also placing strong emphasis on protected farming — a modern technique where crops or nurseries are grown year-round in controlled environments like polyhouses and shade nets. The state aims to expand this method to 500 hectares, providing subsidies to farmers who adopt it. Because the temperature and moisture are controlled, the quality of the produce or nursery plants is significantly better. Off-season crops can also be grown using this technique, which fetch higher market prices. As a result, many progressive farmers, especially those near urban areas, are showing keen interest in protected farming.

Traditionally, single-crop farming of paddy and wheat has been risk-prone. With the increasing unpredictability of weather due to global warming, this risk has grown even further. This has made crop diversification the need of the hour. To address this, the government is encouraging farmers to adopt alternative income-generating options like mushroom cultivation, beekeeping, and the production of fruits and vegetables in line with market demand.

Farmers are not only being given training in these areas, but they are also taken on exposure visits to institutions that excel in these sectors, based on their interests. Under this initiative, the government aims to train 2.1 lakh farmers by 2027.

It is worth noting that Uttar Pradesh ranks first in the country in the production of mango, guava, amla, potato, peas, vine crops, and cole crops (like cauliflower and cabbage).

While in other crops, some states outperform UP in terms of yield, there remains immense scope for improvement through technology. That is precisely why the Yogi government is establishing Centres of Excellence for different fruits and vegetables — to improve productivity and boost farmers’ income through scientific practices.