Research needed to tackle challenges, optimise agricultural yield: Maurya

Lucknow: Insisting that Uttar Pradesh possesses some of the most fertile land with capacity to produce a wide variety of crops, deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Wednesday said a significant portion of produce in UP fields is wasted because of lack of irrigation facilities and storage issues.

“The need of the hour is to undertake research on how to enhance the quality of our products so that they can be exported and farmers receive fair prices,” said Maurya.

He was speaking as chief guest of the four-day international conference on ‘Pathogens, Plant Health and Food Security: Climate Resilient Agriculture and Landscape Conservation’ at Amity University.

The conference is being jointly organised by Amity Food and Agriculture Foundation (AFAF), Amity University’s Lucknow campus and the Indian Society of Mycology and Plant Pathology (ISMPP).

It has brought together eminent scientists from across the world to deliberate and exchange ideas on important issues such as sustainable agriculture and food security.

Maurya said the ‘double engine’ govt under PM Narendra Modi and CM Yogi Adityanath is steadily progressing towards the sustainable development of farmers and agriculture.

“Efforts are also being made to improve the quality of agricultural and other products so that they can reach global markets through initiatives like One District One Product,” said Maurya.