CM Yogi Aditynath: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has formally launched the UP-AGREES (Uttar Pradesh Agriculture Growth and Rural Enterprise Ecosystem Strengthening) project, a flagship agricultural modernization scheme backed by the World Bank, targeting the historically underdeveloped regions of Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bundelkhand.
Project Scope And Funding
The World Bank-supported initiative will be implemented across 28 districts of Uttar Pradesh, comprising 21 districts in Eastern UP and 7 districts in the Bundelkhand region. The project carries an estimated outlay of roughly ₹4,000 crore, funded through a ₹2,737 crore World Bank loan alongside a ₹1,166 crore contribution from the state government. The initiative has a planned implementation period of about six years.
Focus On Low-Productivity Blocks
A key feature of UP-AGREES is its targeted approach: officials have identified 123 low-productive blocks out of a total of 319 within the project area for focused intervention. The scheme is designed to modernize farming through better seed availability, the development of commodity-specific Centers of Excellence, and wider adoption of modern agricultural technologies.
Benefits For Farmers
The project is expected to directly benefit around 10 lakh farmers across the two regions. Notably, the scheme places emphasis on women’s participation in agriculture, targeting 30 percent involvement of women farmers and the formation of 10,000 women producer groups. As part of efforts to expose local farmers to advanced global practices, the government also plans to send 500 farmers abroad for training and exposure visits.
Wider Government Push For Bundelkhand And Purvanchal
The launch of UP-AGREES fits into a broader pattern of the Yogi Adityanath government’s outreach to Bundelkhand and Eastern UP, regions long associated with migration, water scarcity, and lagging industrial growth. The Chief Minister has repeatedly visited these areas in recent months to inaugurate development projects and lay foundation stones for infrastructure works, framing Bundelkhand’s transformation into an industrial and defence manufacturing hub as a central priority of his administration.