Chief Minister honors agricultural scientists at inaugural session of Science Congress in Lucknow
Lucknow, April 8
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi on Wednesday inaugurated the three-day Agricultural Science Congress-2026 at the Sugarcane Research Institute in Lucknow, organized by the Uttar Pradesh Agricultural Research Council (UPCAR). On this occasion, the Chief Minister also honored prominent scientists selected under the Uttar Pradesh Krishi Vigyan Samman Yojana (2025-26).

Addressing the Agricultural Science Congress, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that the Agricultural Science Congress will lay the foundation for a developed Uttar Pradesh and a developed India. He said that technology is essential, but it is necessary to work on how to get more production with less cost and less resources. Now we need to move forward in the direction of converting farms into laboratories. Challenges will always come. We should develop indigenous methods. If the breadwinner is happy, the country and society will be happy. The Chief Minister said that if the food provider is happy, the country and society will be happy. The government has made agriculture and farming a part of its agenda.

He said that for 10 years, sugarcane farmers had arrears pending and sugar mills were closing, but today, Uttar Pradesh alone is producing 55 percent of the country's sugarcane. There are 122 sugar mills operating in the state. There is no delay in paying the price of sugarcane. Yogi Adityanath said that before 2014, farmers were committing suicide and migrating. They were being harassed. Farmers were then an electoral issue. There was a lack of trust in the minds of farmers, but in the double-engine government, farmers are not committing suicide now. Farmers' income has increased manifold. There are policies for everything from seeds to sale of produce. Farmers are getting all kinds of support.

The Chief Minister said that under a conspiracy, the self-sufficient village unit was abolished. Earlier, farmers were not limited to just farming. They were also artisans. Our farmers were producers and entrepreneurs. Invaders attacked not only agriculture but also India's industry. Farmers, who were earlier producers, were given only the right to produce raw materials, due to which farmers became miserable.

Yogi said that earlier there was no electricity or water, and seeds and fertilizers were not available on time. The condition of farmers was bad. Today, their condition has improved. The government is providing money. Rs 1500 per month for the care of each cow. Cow shelters should be linked to natural farming. The Ana system has been abolished in Bundelkhand.

Agriculture Minister of State Baldev Singh Aulakh, Chairman of Gau Seva Aayog Shyam Bahadur Gupta, Chairman of Apkar Captain (Retd) Vikas Gupta, Director General of ICAR-IST Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Agriculture Production Commissioner Deepak Kumar, and Principal Secretary Agriculture Ravindra Kumar were present.