Shivraj-Yogi Adityanath High-Level Meeting: MSP Relief, 6.18 Lakh Rural Houses Approved for Uttar Pradesh; What More Decisions Were Taken?
Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday held a high-level review meeting with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at Yojana Bhavan, Lucknow, to discuss the state’s agriculture and rural development scenario in detail. During the meeting, Chouhan handed over two key approval letters to the Chief Minister -one extending Minimum Support Price procurement period for wheat, gram and masoor under the Rabi Marketing Season 2026–27 from June 24 to July 8, 2026, and another approving 6,18,482 pucca houses for Uttar Pradesh under the new phase of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Gramin.
UP India’s Agricultural Flagship State, Scientific Roadmap Needed
Addressing the meeting, Shivraj described Uttar Pradesh as India’s leading agricultural state, noting that the state alone contributes around 38 per cent of the country’s wheat production. He said climate change, rising temperatures and declining groundwater levels have emerged as serious challenges for farming. The proposed scientific roadmap for Uttar Pradesh will integrate crop patterns, irrigation, water conservation, seeds, technology and marketing strategies. A draft framework was discussed in detail with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi and their team, and will be finalized jointly by the Centre and the state government.
MSP Procurement Period Extended for Rabi 2026–27
In a major relief for farmers, the Union Agriculture Minister formally handed over the approval letter extending the MSP procurement period for key Rabi crops. The approval, granted in response to the Uttar Pradesh government’s request and keeping farmers’ interests in mind, allows procurement of wheat, gram and masoor at MSP till July 8, 2026. The extension aims to ensure that no farmer is deprived of selling produce at MSP due to practical difficulties such as weather conditions, delayed arrivals, weighing issues or congestion in mandis. The decision is expected to benefit lakhs of wheat, gram and masoor growers in Uttar Pradesh and help prevent distress sales at below-MSP prices.
El Niño Concerns: Contingency Plan for Low Rainfall
Chouhan said signs of El Niño are visible this year and rainfall has so far remained below normal, with further shortfall likely. “The government’s priority is that fields should not remain vacant, farmers’ income should be protected, and the country’s food security should not be affected,” he said. Accordingly, the meeting decided to prepare district-wise contingency plans promoting short-duration and low-water-requirement crops. Alternative crop lists will be prepared based on local water availability, soil conditions and existing cropping patterns. A roadmap is also being prepared to ensure timely advisory services, seeds and technical guidance through Krishi Vigyan Kendra, the state agriculture department and local administration.
6,18,482 Rural Houses Approved Under PMAY-G
In a major push to rural housing, Shri Chouhan also handed over the approval letter sanctioning 6,18,482 pucca houses for Uttar Pradesh under the new phase of PMAY-G. He said the approval is part of the new PMAY-G phase for 2024–25 to 2028–29, under which the Centre aims to construct an additional two crore pucca houses across the country. Out of these, 6,18,482 houses have been allocated to Uttar Pradesh, opening the way for providing permanent housing to lakhs of poor rural families in a phased manner.
‘Housing for All’: Survey Completed, Focus Shifts to Delivery
Shivraj said the survey of rural households in Uttar Pradesh has been completed and eligible poor families living in kutcha houses have been identified. “The next phase is to provide priority housing to these eligible families under PMAY-G and accelerate Prime Minister Modi’s ‘Housing for All’ mission on the ground,” he said. He assured full financial and technical support from the Centre and emphasized timely construction, quality control and inclusion of every eligible beneficiary. Transparency and technology-based monitoring will be key features of implementation, he added.