Mission-mode rollout of oilseed and pulse intercropping from 2026–31 aims to boost farmer incomes, strengthen self-reliance, and power the state’s trillion-dollar economy ambition

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday outlined an ambitious strategy to give a decisive boost to the state’s agricultural economy by scaling up oilseed- and pulse-based intercropping with sugarcane, calling it the most effective pathway to dramatically raise farmer incomes.

“This model has the capacity not just to double but to multiply manifold the income of sugarcane farmers,” the Chief Minister said during a high-level review meeting, according to an official release.

Adityanath noted that integrating high-value crops such as mustard, lentil, urad and moong with sugarcane cultivation offers farmers multiple advantages—additional output, lower cultivation costs, and more stable year-round income—while significantly reducing risk exposure.

With horizontal expansion of cultivable land no longer feasible, the Chief Minister stressed that productivity-led growth is the only viable route for Uttar Pradesh to achieve its trillion-dollar economy target. “Sugarcane-based intercropping is the new agricultural future of Uttar Pradesh. It delivers higher production, higher income, and risk protection simultaneously,” he said.

The Chief Minister directed officials to implement the intercropping programme in mission mode from 2026–27 to 2030–31, backed by a clear, year-wise roadmap. Currently, sugarcane is cultivated across 29.50 lakh hectares in the state, including 14.64 lakh hectares under fresh sowing and 14.86 lakh hectares under ratoon crops.

Expanding oilseed and pulse cultivation across this area is expected to substantially increase output while strengthening state and national self-reliance in edible oils and pulses. Importantly, the Chief Minister emphasised that the model delivers additional crops, additional profits, and additional security—without compromising sugarcane yields.

Adityanath added that the resulting increase in production would directly raise farmer incomes and make a meaningful contribution to Uttar Pradesh’s Gross Value Added (GVA).

“This initiative should not be confined to the sugarcane sector alone. It must serve as a catalyst for transforming the state’s broader agricultural landscape,” he said.