Lucknow: The state govt has put in place a contingency plan for the agriculture sector in case there is a drought. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath held a meeting with all departments under the Agriculture Production Commissioner branch, emphasising that Uttar Pradesh needs to be prepared to handle uncertainty of weather and changing rainfall patterns.“Agriculture is the foundation of the state’s economy. In such a situation, providing farmers with seeds, fertilisers, irrigation water, electricity supply, crop loans, and scientific advice on time should be among the govt’s top priorities,” the CM said.The CM was informed that for the Kharif 2026 season, a coverage target of 110.65 lakh hectares has been set against a coverage of 106.60 lakh hectares in the previous year. This year, the target for paddy production is 22.43 crore tons and the total Kharif production target has been set at 30.26 crore tons.By June 22, sowing had been done in an area of 5.88 lakh hectares and paddy nursery coverage has been completed in an area of 4.06 lakh hectares.An official said that if required, coverage of urad, moong, jowar, bajra, sesame and other short-duration crops will be increased. The CM directed officials to ensure maximum coverage under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and to provide loans to maximum farmers through Kisan Credit Cards.While discussing availability of seeds, the CM was informed that for Kharif 2026, the target for seed distribution through subsidy has been set at 2.29 lakh quintals. Against this, 1.77 lakh quintals of seeds were made available and more than 1.12 lakh quintals had been distributed.The CM said that fertilisers should be provided on time to farmers and regular monitoring should be carried out to prevent hoarding and black marketing. Under the drought management strategy, 15 crore vegetable saplings are being made available to farmers through 125 hi-tech nurseries.Yogi directed the irrigation and minor irrigation department to ensure effective operation of the canal system so that water reaches the last point in the system. He said that irrigation resources and agricultural needs at every block and tehsil level should be assessed and a special action plan should be prepared for areas with low irrigation.While reviewing the Animal Husbandry department, the CM said that there should be adequate arrangements of fodder, water and medical care for animals in a possible drought situation. Officials said that under the fodder collection campaign, 13.60 crore quintals of fodder has been collected against a target of 13.14 crore quintals. Vaccination campaigns for animals are being carried out continuously, an official said.The Panchayati Raj department was instructed to conserve drinking water sources, maintain hand pumps, revive ponds and carry out public awareness programmes at the Gram Panchayat level.
