High-Level Review Meeting on UP Agriculture and Rural Development
Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare and Rural Development Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan held a high-level review meeting with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at Yojana Bhavan, Lucknow, on Thursday, June 25, 2026. The meeting focused on detailed discussions of the state's agriculture and rural development scenario, resulting in two major approvals being handed over to the Chief Minister.
MSP Procurement Extension for Rabi Marketing Season
In a significant relief measure for farmers, the Union Minister formally approved the extension of Minimum Support Price procurement period for key Rabi crops. The procurement period for wheat, gram, and masoor under the Rabi Marketing Season 2026–27 has been extended from June 24 to July 8, 2026. This extension was granted in response to the Uttar Pradesh government's request and aims to ensure that no farmer is deprived of selling produce at MSP due to practical difficulties including weather conditions, delayed arrivals, weighing issues, or congestion in mandis. The decision is expected to benefit lakhs of wheat, gram, and masoor growers in Uttar Pradesh and help prevent distress sales at below-MSP prices.
Scientific Agricultural Roadmap and Climate Resilience
Shri Chouhan described Uttar Pradesh as India's leading agricultural state, noting that it contributes approximately 38% of the country's wheat production. He emphasized the need for a scientific and long-term roadmap for agriculture in the state to address challenges posed by climate change, rising temperatures, and declining groundwater levels. The proposed roadmap will integrate crop patterns, irrigation, water conservation, seeds, technology, and marketing strategies.
Given visible signs of El Niño and below-normal rainfall patterns, the meeting decided to prepare district-wise contingency plans promoting short-duration and low-water-requirement crops. Alternative crop lists will be prepared based on local water availability, soil conditions, and existing cropping patterns. A comprehensive roadmap is being developed to ensure timely advisory services, seeds, and technical guidance through Krishi Vigyan Kendra, the state agriculture department, and local administration.
Major Rural Housing Approval Under PMAY-G
In a substantial push for rural housing, Shri Chouhan approved 6,18,482 pucca houses for Uttar Pradesh under the new phase of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Gramin. This approval is part of the new PMAY-G phase for 2024–25 to 2028–29, under which the Centre aims to construct an additional two crore pucca houses across India. The survey of rural households in Uttar Pradesh has been completed, with eligible poor families living in kutcha houses already identified. The implementation will focus on timely construction, quality control, and inclusion of every eligible beneficiary, with transparency and technology-based monitoring as key features.
Implementation and Coordination Framework
The review meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister and Rural Development Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi, Minister of State for Agriculture Baldev Singh Aulakh, and Minister of State for Revenue Surendra Diler. Senior officials from both Union and Uttar Pradesh departments of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare and Rural Development participated and presented progress updates on various schemes. The approach emphasizes viewing agriculture and rural development as a unified development vision rather than isolated schemes, with strong coordination between central and state governments to ensure policy decisions directly benefit farmers, agricultural laborers, and rural poor families.