In a landmark move aimed at revolutionising agriculture and boosting seed production, the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet has approved the development of five state-of-the-art seed parks across the state.
These parks will be strategically established in five distinct “agro-economic zones” to cater to the diverse agricultural needs of the region, State Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi announced on Thursday.
As a tribute to former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh and his significant contributions to the agricultural sector, the seed parks will be named in his honour.
The first of these parks is slated to be developed in the Attari area of Lucknow, on a sprawling 130-acre site, with a proposed investment of ₹266 crore.
According to Shahi, the Lucknow seed park will be equipped with cutting-edge facilities, including advanced systems for seed production, processing, storage, speed breeding, and hybrid seed research.
The initiative, he said, marks a major step forward for the state’s agricultural infrastructure and is expected to bring a transformation in the seed sector.
Phased Development Across Regions
The development of these seed parks will be carried out in a phased manner. Following Lucknow, additional parks will be established in the western region of Uttar Pradesh, the Terai belt, the central zone, and the Bundelkhand region.
These locations were chosen to represent five of the state’s nine agricultural climatic zones, allowing for diversified seed production that is better adapted to local needs.
The parks will be developed through a public-private partnership (PPP) model, with land being offered to private seed companies on a 30-year lease basis.
This approach aims to attract investment while ensuring efficient management and innovation through private expertise.
Addressing the Seed Shortfall
Highlighting the urgent need for such infrastructure, Minister Shahi noted that Uttar Pradesh, one of India’s largest agricultural states, has around 165 lakh hectares of cultivable land.
When factoring in both Rabi and Kharif crop seasons, farming is conducted on approximately 270 lakh hectares.
To meet its agricultural demands, the state requires nearly 70 lakh quintals (or 7 lakh metric tonnes) of seeds annually. However, it currently produces only about 46 lakh quintals, with the deficit being met through imports from neighboring states.
The new seed parks are expected to bridge this gap, promoting self-sufficiency and also enabling Uttar Pradesh to become a seed-exporting state in the future.
Potential Economic Impact
Shahi also pointed out that while Uttar Pradesh does not currently produce hybrid seeds, the seed market in the state is worth nearly ₹7,000 crore annually. Of this, around ₹3,500 crore worth of business is captured by companies based outside the state.
By enhancing its production capabilities, Uttar Pradesh stands to retain a larger share of this revenue within its borders and create employment opportunities in the agricultural sector.
Marriage and Event Halls in Rural Areas
In another significant decision, the state Cabinet approved the construction of “Panchayat Utsav Bhawans” — multipurpose marriage and event halls — in every rural assembly constituency across the state. The project, which will roll out in phases, will see 71 such halls built in the first phase.
The estimated cost per Utsav Bhawan is ₹1.41 crore, with the state government contributing 40% of the funds under the UP Matri Bhoomi Yojana, and the remaining 60% being sourced through donor funding. A total of ₹100 crore has been earmarked for the initial phase of construction.
Salary Revisions for Civil Aviation Personnel
Additionally, the Cabinet sanctioned a revision in the pay structure for contractual employees of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in the state.
This includes both technical and non-technical personnel, ranging from pilots and co-pilots to aviation engineers, quality managers, and flight safety officials.
Under the new remuneration framework:
- Pilots will now receive between ₹5–10 lakh per month, up from the earlier range of ₹2.5–7 lakh.
- Co-pilots’ salaries have been revised from ₹1.25–6 lakh to ₹3–7 lakh.
This decision aims to retain skilled professionals in the aviation sector and ensure that competitive salaries are provided to match industry standards.