District Action Plan for Crop Specific Agri Value Chain in Five Districts of Uttar Pradesh

Indian agriculture has been metamorphosizing rapidly for the past few decades. The paradigm shift in agriculture – from a rural livelihood to a contemporary business enterprise – has been often credited to the new agriculture value chain systems. Therefore micro-level strategic crop-specific planning is needed for our agricultural system to integrate agriculture and technology (Agritech) to make farmers prosperous agri-entrepreneurs. The study proposes an innovative perspective to the district planning through an integrated agriculture value chain in the five districts of Uttar Pradesh. The study has also meticulously examined hundreds of policies schemes programs and best practices across the country and recommended the most pertinent of which could be replicated in the given scenario. Based on published unpublished data and field level interactions with all concerned the study has also analyzed the infrastructural gaps and dynamics of all the four components of the value chain i.e. production; storage transportation and logistics; value addition and processing; marketing and distribution. Furthermore for the projections and planning of each crop a plethora of variables have been taken into cognizance and postulated in an Excel sheet for a dynamic and responsive model. Consequently specific action plans for each of the six crops in five districts have been elaborately drawn for five years. The study also estimates the financial resources required to implement the proposed action points and has suggested avenues for mobilization of the same.