‘Use of tech can turn farming profitable’

LUCKNOW: Insisting that farming was not a loss-making venture, chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said that a little more awareness and use of technology could help turn agriculture into a profitable venture.

He said his government was working in that direction only.

The CM was speaking at the inauguration function of the fifth edition of the Farmers’ Millennium School at his 5, KD official residence here. The holding of Farmers Millennium School, he said, was one of important tools to educate farmers to help them double their income .Under the programme which the CM said had now got an international recognition with a foreign company becoming a partner in the effort, around 10 lakhs farmers are invited at primary and junior high schools all over the state and agriculture scientists and officers of the agriculture and the allied departments brief them about the government schemes for them.

The officials also offer tips on producing more with less input to farmers. The CM said there was the need for the farmers for growing from ‘utpadak’ (producers) to ‘uddhami’ (entrepreneurs).

“There are already a lot of central and government schemes aimed at increasing farmers’ income and the positive results have already started coming with the state breaking all the previous records of food grain production at 604 lakh MT this year,” he stated. He also launched a Farmers Millennium School mobile app . Agriculture minister Surya Pratap Shahi enumerated on government schemes being run for farmers. Among others present were animal husbandry minister, Laxmi Narayan, chief secretary, RK Tiwari and principal secretary, agriculture, Amit Mohan.