UP eyeing self-reliance in pulses, oilseeds: Agri minister

The Uttar Pradesh government is focusing on increasing the production of pulses and oilseeds to make the state self-reliant in these commodities, state agriculture minister Surya Pratap Shahi said on Saturday.

''The government has decided to celebrate next year as international millet year,'' Shahi told reporters here.

He highlighted that oilseed production has increased from 5 lakh tonnes to 17 lakh tonnes. Inter-cropping of Mung (kidney bean) and Masur (lentil) with sugarcane crop is in progress, the minister said.

The minister said the government has increased the production of hybrid seeds to improve crop output. Eight lakh quintals of hybrid seeds have been produced this year as against 4 lakh quintals of hybrid produced earlier.

The production of 38 quintals per hectare of wheat and 28 quintals of rice as against 32 quintals per hectare wheat and 22 quintals rice per hectare earlier has been achieved due to the use of hybrid seed, the minister stated while answering a question.

The government is working in 49 districts on natural farming while similar work will start in seven districts of the Bundelkhand region.

According to the minister, clusters will be formed in blocks of all the districts falling under Bundelkhand region for starting cow-based natural farming in 24,500 hectare area.