Govt launches Kisan Pathshala-II

LUCKNOW: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched on Thursday phase II of the Kisan Pathshala Yojana, also called the Million Farmers’ School, an outreach initiative aimed at connecting the farmers to the agriculture department’s technical and scientific support teams.

“There was a time when agriculture was considered to be a losing proposition. But since 2014, when PM Narendra Modi took over the reins of the country, revolutionary changes have been introduced in the sector. That’s when soil health cards started getting made, which has truly made a huge difference to the concept of farming,” Adityanath said while launching the scheme at his residence here.

Adityanath said soon after taking over as the chief minister

› We have also evolved a system under which farmers would get due price for their produce automatically in 3 weeks SURYA PRATAP SHAHI, agri minister

when he enquired about wheat purchase centres, he was told that this didn’t happen here. “But we continued to work hard and purchased 37 lakh metric tonnes of wheat, which is a record. We followed it up by purchasing 45 lakh metric tonnes of paddy. This year we have already purchased 52 lakh metric tonnes of wheat. We have also made record purchase of sugarcane and ensured record payment to cane farmers,” he said.

Under phase II of the Kisan Pathshala Yojana, the Yogi government plans to train an estimated 10 lakh farmers by holding about 15000 farmers’ school across the state, said Amit Mohan Prasad, principal secretary, agriculture.

These pathshalas will impart latest techniques of carrying out agriculture and identifying good seeds to the majority of the farmers, he said.

Adityanath said with timely advice and upgrading agricultural practices farmers could make significant profits.

“The Kisan Pathshala scheme is aimed at realising that objective,” he said while pointing out the achievements of some successful farmers who have been making huge profits by adopting innovative ways of doing agriculture. Agriculture minister Surya Pratap Shahi said the Yogi government would invest ₹499 crore under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY).