Agriculture of UP
- 01Crop Production and Agricultural Diversity
- 02Commercialisation of Agriculture and Agri-Exports
- 03Problems of Agriculture and Their Solutions
- 04Horticulture and Allied Sectors
Disclaimer
This eBook has been prepared by NotesCafe solely for examination preparation and general educational guidance for UPPCS and other competitive examinations.
The content is based on the latest syllabus and previous year questions of UPPCS and other competitive examinations, and has been prepared with reference to standard textbooks, NCERT, government publications, official reports and other reliable public sources. Every effort has been made to keep the information accurate and up to date at the time of publication. Even so, errors, omissions or inaccuracies may remain. Facts, data, laws, schemes and policies may also change after publication.
- The author, the publisher and NotesCafe shall not be responsible or liable for any loss, damage or inconvenience caused to any person acting, or refraining from acting, on the basis of any material in this eBook.
- This eBook is a study aid. It is not a substitute for the official notification, the syllabus issued by the commission, or original sources. Readers should verify important facts from official sources such as commission notifications, the Gazette and government websites.
- Answers and explanations of previous year questions are based on the author's understanding and the information available. If there is any difference, the official answer key released by the commission shall prevail.
- NotesCafe does not guarantee selection, any specific marks or any result in any examination.
- Names of examinations, commissions and organisations are used for reference only. NotesCafe is not affiliated with or endorsed by UPPSC, UPSC or any government body.
- If you notice any error, please write to us at support@notes-cafe.com so that it can be corrected in the next edition.
Copyright & Licence
© 2026 NotesCafe. All rights reserved.
This eBook is licensed to the purchaser for personal, non-commercial use only. No part of it may be reproduced, copied, stored, shared, forwarded, uploaded to any website, Telegram/WhatsApp group or cloud drive, resold or distributed in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopy, screenshot, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher. Removing the NotesCafe watermark or branding is also prohibited.
Unauthorised copying, sharing or sale is an infringement of copyright under the Copyright Act, 1957, and may also attract action under the Information Technology Act, 2000. NotesCafe reserves the right to take legal action and to suspend the account of any user found involved in piracy.
All disputes are subject to the jurisdiction of the courts at Lucknow only.
Contents
- 01Crop Production and Agricultural Diversity3 topics
- 02Commercialisation of Agriculture and Agri-Exports2 topics
- 03Problems of Agriculture and Their Solutions3 topics
- 04Horticulture and Allied Sectors6 topics
- 4.1Horticulture in UP: Facilities and Missions
- 4.2Floriculture in UP: Problems and Prospects
- 4.3Viticulture in UP: Challenges and Potential
- 4.4Fisheries and Aquaculture in UP
- 4.5Sericulture in UP: Schemes and Silk Production
- 4.6Integrated Farming in UP: Agriculture, Horticulture, Fisheries and Allied Activities
Crop Production and Agricultural Diversity
Agricultural Profile of UP: Agro-Climatic Zones, Cropping Pattern and Food-Crop Production
Chapter Overview
Chapter 1 looks at what Uttar Pradesh grows and how varied its farming is. UP produced 737.4 lakh t of foodgrains in 2024-25, the most of any State and 20.6% of India's output (UP Economic Survey 2025-26, reported by Business Today, 2026), and grew 48.6% of India's sugarcane (MoA&FW, 2025). Agriculture makes up about a quarter of the State's economy (24.9% in 2024-25, same Survey report), yet more than 90% of its farmers are small and marginal (UP Budget 2026-27), so crop diversification matters as much as volume.
Topic 1 sets out the profile: land, the nine agro-climatic zones, the three crop seasons and the food crops in which UP leads. Topic 2 asks how far the State can move beyond rice and wheat, with the UP Millets Revival Programme as its main tool. Topic 3 turns to sugarcane and other commercial crops, which bring cash to farms and raw material to mills. Chapter 2 then follows these crops into markets, processing and exports.
- 1Agricultural Profile: Zones, Cropping Pattern and Food Crops
- beyond rice and wheat
- 2Crop Diversity and the Millets Revival Programme
- crops grown for cash
- 3Sugarcane and Commercial Crops
UP produced 737.4 lakh t of foodgrains in 2024-25, the most of any State and 20.6% of India's record 357.73 million t (UP Economic Survey 2025-26, reported by Business Today, 2026; PIB, 2026). An agricultural profile describes a State's farm land, zones, seasons and output, and its cropping pattern is the share of cropped area under each crop at a point of time.
Land, Agro-Climatic Zones and Crop Seasons
- Sown and irrigated land: about 164 lakh ha is sown each year and nearly nine-tenths of it is irrigated, mostly from tube wells and canals; e.g. net irrigated area 144.2 lakh ha, 88.0% of net sown area, 2019-20 (UP at a Glance, 2022); irrigation: see GS-6 Geography Ch 2, Topic 3.
- Cropping intensity: gross cropped area as a percentage of net sown area; UP's figure shows that much of its land is cropped twice a year; e.g. 165.6% in 2019-20 (UP at a Glance, 2022); rice–wheat is the main two-crop rotation of the plains.
- Nine agro-climatic zones: an agro-climatic zone is an area of similar rainfall, terrain and soil; UP has nine, from the wet Tarai to dry Bundelkhand; e.g. average rainfall: Bhabhar and Tarai zone 1,400 mm, Western Plain zone 795 mm (SVPUAT, 2023); nine zones (UP SAPCC, 2014).
- Three crop seasons: kharif crops are sown with the June monsoon, rabi crops in the cool winter, and short zaid crops in the irrigated summer; e.g. kharif rice, maize, bajra, arhar; rabi wheat, gram, mustard; zaid watermelon, cucumber, vegetables, fodder; national pattern: see GS-3 Agriculture and Food Security Ch 1, Topic 1.
| Zone | Where in UP | Rainfall and soil |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bhabhar and Tarai | Foothill strip of Saharanpur and Bijnor; Tarai of Moradabad, Rampur, Bareilly, Pilibhit, Shahjahanpur | About 1,400 mm; alluvium rich in organic matter |
| 2. Western Plain | Meerut, Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Bulandshahr | About 795 mm; light loam; sugarcane-based cropping |
| 3. Mid-Western Plain | Budaun, Shahjahanpur, Amroha; parts of Moradabad, Rampur, Bareilly, Pilibhit | About 1,032 mm; alluvium, neutral to mildly alkaline |
| 4. South-Western | South-western plain along the Yamuna | Drier zone; more rainfed crops |
| 5. Central Plain | Central Ganga plain (Awadh) | Alluvial loam; rice–wheat |
| 6. Bundelkhand | Plateau south of the Yamuna, Jhansi to Chitrakoot | Drought-prone; red and black soils |
| 7. North-Eastern Plain | Plain north of the Ghaghara along the Nepal border | Wet; floods and waterlogging |
| 8. Eastern Plain | Eastern Ganga plain (Purvanchal) | Floods and waterlogging; rice–wheat |
| 9. Vindhyachal | Vindhyan hills of Mirzapur and Sonbhadra | Thin red soils; rainfed crops |
Food Crops and UP's Share of India
- Wheat: UP is India's largest wheat producer; the Ganga–Yamuna and Ganga–Ghaghara doabs carry most of its irrigated rabi wheat; e.g. 380.7 lakh t on 101.93 lakh ha, rank 1, in 2022-23 (Invest UP, 2024); Meerut, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Agra, Etawah (Doab).
- Rice: paddy is the main kharif crop, densest in the wetter Terai and eastern plains where water stands in the fields; e.g. 248.4 lakh t on 61.79 lakh ha, rank 2, in 2022-23 (Invest UP, 2024); Pilibhit, Bahraich, Gonda, Basti, Deoria, Ballia.
- Maize and barley: maize is a kharif cereal of the western plains and Doab and barley a rabi cereal of the eastern plains, used for food, feed and malt; e.g. maize about 19.5 lakh t, about 6% of India (Invest UP, 2024); barley in Jaunpur, Azamgarh, Ghazipur, Ballia (Purvanchal).
- Rising national share: UP's share of India's foodgrains has grown steadily, making it the largest contributor among the States; e.g. 18.1% in 2017-18 to 20.6% in 2024-25 (UP Economic Survey 2025-26, reported by Business Today, 2026); also first in potato (see Topic 3).
| Crop | Season | Main districts (region) |
|---|---|---|
| Wheat | Rabi | Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Bulandshahr, Saharanpur (Paschimanchal); Aligarh, Agra, Etawah, Kanpur, Farrukhabad (Doab); Moradabad (Rohilkhand) |
| Rice | Kharif | Pilibhit, Bahraich (Terai); Gonda, Basti, Mahrajganj, Deoria, Mau, Ballia (Purvanchal); Lucknow, Rae Bareli (Awadh); Saharanpur |
| Maize | Kharif | Meerut, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr (Paschimanchal); Mainpuri, Etah, Firozabad, Farrukhabad (Doab); Gonda, Jaunpur |
| Barley | Rabi | Jaunpur, Azamgarh, Mau, Ghazipur, Ballia, Varanasi, Gorakhpur (Purvanchal); Pratapgarh, Prayagraj |
State Support: Procurement, Credit and the Budget
- Procurement at MSP: State agencies buy wheat and paddy at the minimum support price (MSP), the floor price the Centre announces, for the central pool; e.g. 10.27 lakh t of wheat in Rabi 2025-26 and 42.96 lakh t of paddy in Kharif 2025-26 (UP Budget 2026-27); MSP: see GS-3 Agriculture and Food Security Ch 3, Topic 2.
- Income support and credit: PM-KISAN (2019) cash transfers and Kisan Credit Card (1998) crop loans support farmers, most of them small and marginal (see Ch 3, Topic 1).
- Budget, power and digital records: the State funds farm schemes, gives free tube-well power for irrigation and is mapping every farmer and plot digitally; e.g. ₹10,888 crore for agriculture in the February 2026 Budget, 20% above 2025-26 (UP Budget 2026-27); free tube-well power since April 2023; Farmer IDs under the Digital Agriculture Mission (2024): see Ch 3, Topic 2.
| Institution | Role |
|---|---|
| UP Agriculture Department (Directorate of Agriculture, Lucknow) | Extension, seed and input supply, State and central schemes; agriculture became a provincial subject under the Government of India Act 1919 |
| UP Council of Agricultural Research (UPCAR) | Coordinates farm research in the State |
| UP Seed Development Corporation; State Seed Certification Institute | Produce and certify quality seed |
| State agricultural universities | CSA Kanpur, ANDUAT Kumarganj (Ayodhya), SVPUAT Meerut, BUAT Banda: research and teaching for their zones |
| Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) | ICAR farm science centres in the districts: field demonstrations and training |
| UP State Agricultural Produce Market Board (Mandi Parishad) | Runs the regulated mandis where crops are sold |
| Food Corporation of India (FCI) and State agencies | Buy wheat and paddy at MSP for the central pool |
Problems Behind UP's Food-Crop Lead
UP leads in volume because it farms a very large area, but yields, regional balance and farm incomes lag, so its lead is uneven.
- Yield gap: output has grown faster than productivity, so much of the gain comes from more irrigated area and cropping rather than higher yields; e.g. foodgrain output up 28.5% but productivity up 11.8%, 2017-18 to 2024-25 (UP Economic Survey 2025-26, reported by Business Today, 2026).
- Regional imbalance: the canal- and tube-well-irrigated west is far ahead, while flood-prone Purvanchal and dry Bundelkhand lag in yields and procurement; e.g. Bundelkhand and Vindhyachal zones depend on rain; North-Eastern and Eastern Plain zones face floods and waterlogging.
- Small farms, low income: tiny plots and sales below MSP keep incomes low, so high State output does not mean high income per farm household; e.g. UP agricultural household ₹8,061 a month vs India ₹10,218 (NSS SAS 2019); see Ch 3, Topic 1.
Prospects and Way Forward
- Zone-wise yield plans: crop plans for each agro-climatic zone, with better seed from State seed parks and balanced fertiliser, can raise yields on existing land; e.g. ₹251 crore for Seed Park Vikas Pariyojana (UP Budget 2026-27); seed parks planned in five zones, the first at Lucknow (Business Today, 2026); National Food Security Mission (2007-08) demonstrations.
- Wider procurement and targets: spreading MSP purchase to eastern UP and using Digital Crop Survey data can help the State meet its 2026-27 foodgrain target; e.g. target of 753.55 lakh t of foodgrains (UP Budget 2026-27); Shanta Kumar Committee (2015) asked FCI to focus procurement on eastern States such as UP.
Zone-wise seed and water plans that lift yields in Purvanchal and Bundelkhand, with wider MSP purchase, can turn UP's lead in volume into a lead in productivity.
Based on NCERT, Standard Books references, Keywords from Syllabus and Previous Year question Papers
Crop Diversity and the UP Millets Revival Programme
The rice–wheat profile of Topic 1 is widening: area under pulses and oilseeds has grown (UP Economic Survey 2025-26, reported by Business Today, 2026), and the State targets 48.18 lakh t of oilseeds in 2026-27 (UP Budget 2026-27). Agricultural diversification is the shift from a few crops to a wider mix, and from crops alone to allied work such as dairy, poultry, fisheries and processing.
Diversification: Its Forms and Why UP Needs It
- Two forms: crop diversification adds crops or rotations on the same land, while diversification beyond crops adds livestock, fish, bees and processing; e.g. a pulse or vegetable after paddy instead of wheat; a small farm combining grain, milk, fruit and bees (see Ch 4, Topic 6).
- Income and risk: more crops spread the risk of price falls, pests and bad weather and give cash in more than one season; e.g. vegetables, fruits and flowers earn more per hectare than cereals (see Ch 4, Topic 1); millets survive dry spells better than paddy.
- Soil and water: crop rotation, growing different crops in turn on a field, keeps soil fertile, breaks pest cycles and saves water when thirsty crops give way; e.g. gram and arhar fix nitrogen; millets need far less water than paddy; soils: see GS-6 Geography Ch 3, Topic 1.
- Demand and nutrition: a large, urbanising population wants fruit, vegetables, pulses and nutritious millets, which the UN marked with the International Year of Millets 2023; e.g. Shri Anna, the national name for millets; millets are rich in fibre and minerals (SDG 2).
Main Features of the UP Millets Revival Programme
- Approval, period and outlay: the State Cabinet approved the Agriculture Department's programme in January 2023 for all 75 districts, running from 2022-23 to 2026-27; e.g. ₹186.26 crore, wholly State-funded (ThePrint, 2023).
- Free seed minikits: farmers get a minikit, a small free pack of improved seed, of Shri Anna crops for four years from 2023-24; e.g. sawa, kodo, madua, hybrid jowar and hybrid bajra (UP Agriculture Department, 2026); farmers on the department portal or under PM-KISAN, 25% SC/ST, priority for women (ThePrint, 2023).
- Awareness and capacity building: each district holds a two-day millets festival, roadshows and panchayat campaigns, backed by exposure visits and training; e.g. two-day State workshop; school-teacher training and millet-recipe programmes (UP Agriculture Department, 2026).
- Value chain and procurement: a value chain links growing, processing and selling; FPOs, SHGs and entrepreneurs get seed money for millet units, and the State buys millets; e.g. processing-cum-packing centres, mobile outlets, millet stores (Gaon Junction, 2026); 2.14 lakh t bought from 54,253 farmers, ₹595 crore paid, Kharif 2025-26 (UP Budget 2026-27).
| Millet | Kind | Where in UP |
|---|---|---|
| Bajra (pearl millet) | Major millet, kharif; hybrid minikits | Agra, Mathura, Aligarh, Etah, Mainpuri, Firozabad, Etawah (western Doab); Budaun, Moradabad, Shahjahanpur (Rohilkhand) |
| Jowar (sorghum) | Major millet, kharif; grain and fodder; hybrid minikits | Agra above all; drier western districts |
| Kodo, sawa (barnyard millet), madua (finger millet) | Minor millets: short-duration, rainfed | Minikit crops for all 75 districts under the programme |
Other State Support for Diversification
The UP Agriculture Policy 2013 set the aim of making UP the 'granary of the nation' with food and nutrition security; the schemes below now push the crop mix beyond cereals.
- Oilseed minikits: free minikits of sesame, groundnut, toria, mustard and linseed, with block demonstrations and farmer field schools, spread new varieties; e.g. State-assisted scheme (UP Agriculture Department, 2026); National Mission on Edible Oils–Oilseeds (2024).
- Cereal seed and demonstrations: the Integrated Cereal Development Programme (Rice) subsidises seed of new varieties and pays for field demonstrations; e.g. up to 50% seed subsidy in 54 districts; ₹9,000 per ha for demonstrations (UP Agriculture Department, 2026).
- Natural farming and FPOs: natural farming (chemical-free farming with on-farm inputs) and farmer producer organisations (FPOs) help small farmers try new crops and sell together; e.g. National Mission on Natural Farming (2024) and FPO support in UP: see Ch 2, Topic 1.
Problems in Diversifying UP's Crops
Diversification pays on paper, but assured rice–wheat procurement, tiny plots and water stress keep many UP farmers tied to two cereals.
- Rice–wheat lock-in: monoculture, growing one crop again and again, persists because paddy and wheat have assured MSP buying, irrigation and known methods; e.g. paddy procurement 42.96 lakh t vs millets 2.14 lakh t in Kharif 2025-26 (UP Budget 2026-27).
- Tiny holdings: a farm under 2 ha seldom tries a new crop without an assured buyer (see Ch 3, Topic 1); e.g. 92.8% of UP's holdings small and marginal vs 86.1% in India (Agriculture Census 2015-16).
- Water, climate and lost seeds: falling groundwater, erratic rain and the loss of native varieties make new crops risky, while millet and pulse markets stay thin; e.g. groundwater decline in Mahoba, Lalitpur, Jhansi, Banda, Hamirpur (Bundelkhand); climate impacts: see GS-6 Environment Ch 5, Topic 1.
Prospects and Way Forward
- Market for millets: linking minikits to MSP buying, school meals and FPO-run packing units can give Shri Anna a steady market; e.g. millet stores and mobile outlets under the programme; PM POSHAN (2021) school meals can use local millets.
- Zone-wise crop mix: matching crops to zones, such as millets and pulses in Bundelkhand, with native seed banks and micro-irrigation, can widen the crop mix; e.g. KVK field demonstrations; Per Drop More Crop (2015-16) for drip and sprinkler; Doubling Farmers' Income Committee (Dalwai, 2018) urged high-value crops.
The Millets Revival Programme runs until 2026-27; its next phase should tie seed to assured purchase and processing so that diversification outlasts the subsidy.
Based on NCERT, Standard Books references, Keywords from Syllabus and Previous Year question Papers