- Chief Minister inaugurates three-day state level Shri Anna Mahotsav and workshop
- Large-scale research and development is required to increase food productivity: CM
By Our Correspondent
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath emphasized on Friday that Shri Anna has held significance since the Vedic era and stressed that in the future too, when the world faces a food crisis, the usefulness of Shri Anna will increase. Uttar Pradesh has the potential to emerge as a hub for Shri Anna production, he added.
Inaugurating the state level Shri Anna Mahotsav, exhibition and workshop at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan, the Chief Minister said that the COVID period has imparted a significant lesson: the more we embrace an artificial lifestyle, the more susceptible we become to epidemics.
“We must adopt a natural habitat and lifestyle, and Shri Anna will be very helpful in this regard. There is a need for research and investigation to increase its productivity,” Yogi said.
The Chief Minister also visited the exhibition organized by Shri Anna producers from all over the state. Shri Anna Mahotsav will be organized for three days.
The Chief Minister further said, “Three-day Shri Anna Mahotsav is being organized on the occasion of the 34th foundation day of the Uttar Pradesh Agricultural Research Council, which is working for research and development in the field of agriculture. This festival will become a medium of comprehensive change in the lives of the farmers of UP.”
The Chief Minister noted that till the sixth and seventh decades of the last century, coarse grains were produced in large quantities. This was part of our daily lives. However, due to population growth and a slowdown in research and development, their production decreased.
He also pointed out that while India has made great strides in achieving food self-sufficiency, it has faced adverse consequences, such as increased diseases resulting from excessive chemical fertilizer use. He stated that these grains are produced even in areas with less water. “We need large scale research and investigation in this direction to increase its production.”
The Chief Minister expressed his delight at the widespread adoption of Shri Anna in various forms within every household. “Substantial efforts have been initiated in this regard, leading to the creation of innovative products from millets. Not only are these products nutritious, but they also offer a delightful culinary experience.”
Highlighting the transformation of Krishi Vigyan Kendras, the Chief Minister remarked, “Until 2017, the condition of these centers was bad. Today, a new spirit of competition has ignited among them. Agricultural universities play a crucial role in this positive change. Intensive efforts are underway to deliver high-quality seeds from the finest research institutions to benefit the state’s three crore farmers.”
Additionally, he asked to establish labs in every Krishi Vigyan Kendra and Agricultural University for the certification of organic products. CM Yogi said that the government is promoting natural farming, and ‘govansh’ can play a significant role in it.
During the ceremony, the Chief Minister honored 35 farmer producer organizations working in the area of ‘Shri Anna’. Apart from this, assistance of Rs 95 lakh each was provided to five Krishi Vigyan Kendras of the state (Jhansi, Lalitpur, Banda, Hamirpur, and Ghazipur) for millets processing plants. Besides, the farmer producer organizations that trained and encouraged a large number of farmers for millets farming were also honored by the Chief Minister during the ceremony.
On this occasion, State Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi, MSME Minister Rakesh Sachan, Minister of State for Agriculture Baldev Singh Aulakh, UP Agricultural Research Council Chairman Captain Vikas Gupta, Agriculture Production Commissioner Manoj Kumar Singh, Sanjay Aggarwal, Dr. Devesh Chaturvedi, and vice chancellors of agricultural universities were present. Apart from the in-charges of farmer producer organizations and Krishi Vigyan Kendra, who came from various districts of the state, a large number of progressive farmers were present.
