[UPPSC-UP Special Syllabus Decoded] Agricultural Diversity, Problems & Solutions in UP

1. Agricultural Diversity in Uttar Pradesh

Trend: Shift from “Wheat-Paddy Cycle” to “Crop Diversification,” “Agro-Climatic Planning,” and “Horticulture.”

A. Agro-Climatic Zones (The Foundation)

• 9 Agro-Climatic Zones:
  • Tarai: High water table; Rice, Sugarcane (Lakhimpur, Bahraich).
  • Western Plain: Highly productive; Wheat, Sugarcane (Meerut, Muzaffarnagar).
  • Bundelkhand: Semi-arid; Pulses, Oilseeds, and Millets (Shree Anna).
  • North-Eastern Plain: Flood-prone; Paddy, Maize (Gorakhpur).
  • Vindhyan Zone: Rocky terrain; Mirzapur/Sonbhadra.

B. Cropping Patterns & Diversification

• Major Crops:
  • Food Grains: UP is the largest producer of food grains (Wheat, Potato, Sugarcane).
  • Cash Crops: Sugarcane (Western/Central UP), Mentha Oil (Barabanki – 90% of India’s production), Potato (Agra/Farrukhabad belt).
• Diversification Trend:
  • Horticulture: Shift towards Guava (Allahabad), Mango (Malihabad), and Banana (Kaushambi).
  • Zaid Crops: Increasing area under Cucurbits (Melon/Cucumber) utilizing riverbeds.

2. Problems of Agriculture in UP

Trend: Critical analysis of “Stray Cattle,” “Fragmented Land,” and “Climate Change.”

A. Structural & Resource Issues

• Fragmentation: 92% of farmers are Small & Marginal (<2 hectares), making mechanization difficult.
• Irrigation Gap:
  • Bundelkhand/Vindhya: Dependence on rain; depleting groundwater.
  • Canal Tail-End: Farmers at the tail end of Sharda/Saryu canals face water scarcity.
• Soil Health: High soil alkalinity (Usar land) in Central UP (Raebareli/Unnao) due to over-irrigation and urea overuse.

B. Economic & Environmental Issues

• Stray Cattle (Anna Pratha):
  • Major crop loss in Bundelkhand due to the abandonment of unproductive cattle; forced farmers to guard fields 24×7.
• Post-Harvest Losses: Lack of cold chain infrastructure leads to 15-20% wastage in horticulture (Tomato/Potato price crash).
• Climate Change: Unseasonal rains in March (Wheat harvesting time) and heatwaves affecting grain shriveling.

3. Solutions and Management Strategies

Trend: “Tech-Integration (Agri-Stack)” and “Value Addition.”

A. Technological Solutions

• Digital Crop Survey (e-Padtal): Real-time assessment of crops to settle Fasal Bima claims accurately.
• Precision Farming: Use of Drones (Namo Drone Didi) for nano-urea spraying to reduce cost and soil toxicity.
• Solar Pumps (PM-KUSUM): De-dieselization of irrigation in off-grid areas.

B. Policy & Infrastructure Solutions

• Stray Cattle Management:
  • Nand Baba Milk Mission: Incentivizing indigenous cow rearing.
  • Cow Sanctuaries: Large-scale shelters and bio-gas plants (Gobardhan) to make stray cattle economically viable.
• FPO (Farmer Producer Organizations): Aggregating small farmers to create “economies of scale” for input purchase and marketing.
• Agri-Export Zones: Developing Varanasi as a vegetable export hub and Agra/Lucknow for fruits.

4. Current Affairs Linkages

A. Digital Agriculture Mission (Agri-Stack)

• Farmer Registry (Farmer ID): In 2024-25, UP accelerated the creation of unique Farmer IDs (like Aadhaar) linking land records, crops grown, and bank accounts.
  • Benefit: One-click delivery of MSP and loan waivers; elimination of middlemen.
• Digital Crop Survey: UP became a pioneer in conducting 100% digital crop surveys across all 75 districts using mobile apps by Lekhpals.

B. Strategic Initiatives

• UP Agri-Export Policy (2024 Amendment): Targeted to double agricultural exports by 2030; focus on GI-tagged products like Kala Namak Rice and Banaras Langra Mango.
• Natural Farming: Promotion of “Ganga Teer” natural farming (5km belt along the Ganges) to brand chemical-free produce.
• Wealth from Waste: In 2025, several Panchayats in UP successfully operationalized Biogas plants in Gaushalas (Cow Shelters), selling electricity/organic manure to cover maintenance costs.