MSP Extended, 6.18 Lakh Rural Houses Approved for UP
Shivraj Singh Chouhan, CM Yogi review agriculture and rural development; climate-resilient farming roadmap discussed
GG News Bureau
Lucknow, 25th June: Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday announced the extension of Minimum Support Price (MSP) procurement for key rabi crops in Uttar Pradesh till July 8 and handed over approval for 6,18,482 rural houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) during a high-level review meeting with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The meeting at Yojana Bhavan reviewed the state’s agriculture and rural development programmes and focused on strengthening farm resilience, rural housing and long-term agricultural planning.
As part of the decisions, the Centre extended the MSP procurement period for wheat, gram and masoor under the Rabi Marketing Season 2026-27 from June 24 to July 8 to ensure that farmers are able to sell their produce at the guaranteed support price without distress.
Chouhan said the extension was approved following a request from the Uttar Pradesh government and would benefit lakhs of farmers by addressing delays caused by weather conditions, late arrivals and congestion at procurement centres.
In a major rural housing push, the Union Minister also approved 6,18,482 pucca houses for Uttar Pradesh under the new phase of PMAY-G for 2024-25 to 2028-29. He said the allocation forms part of the Centre’s target of constructing two crore additional rural houses across the country.
Highlighting Uttar Pradesh’s contribution to national food security, Chouhan said the state produces nearly 38 per cent of India’s wheat and requires a scientific, long-term agricultural roadmap to tackle challenges such as climate change, rising temperatures and declining groundwater levels.
The Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government agreed to jointly prepare a comprehensive strategy integrating crop planning, irrigation, water conservation, improved seeds, technology adoption and marketing.
Expressing concern over the possibility of below-normal rainfall due to El Niño conditions, Chouhan said district-wise contingency plans would be prepared to promote short-duration and low-water-requiring crops. Farmers will receive timely advisories, quality seeds and technical support through Krishi Vigyan Kendras and the state agriculture department.
He said the survey of eligible rural households has been completed and the focus will now shift to timely construction of houses with technology-based monitoring and quality control.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi, Minister of State Baldev Singh Aulakh, Minister of State Surendra Diler and senior officials from the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government.
Chouhan said the Centre and the state are working with a shared vision of strengthening farmers, developing prosperous villages and making Uttar Pradesh a model for agriculture and rural development.
