Direct-Seeded Rice (DSR) Conclave 2025 | 08 Oct 2025

Why in News?

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, speaking at the Direct-Seeded Rice (DSR) Conclave 2025 at International Rice Research Institute – South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC), reaffirmed Uttar Pradesh’s goal of becoming a global food basket by 2030 in line with its $1 trillion economy vision.

• The Chief Minister also launched new agricultural knowledge products, mechanisation innovations, and distributed mini kits to farmers to boost modernisation and technology adoption in agriculture.

Key Points

• About: The DSR Conclave 2025 is a platform for policymakers, scientists, and industry leaders to explore actionable pathways for resilient, inclusive, and climate-smart agricultural development in UP and beyond.
• Global Food Basket Vision: During a session on making UP the global food basket by 2030, the Chief Minister emphasised sustainable, climate-smart, and technology-driven agricultural transformations, marking the 150th anniversary of the UP Department of Agriculture.
  • He underscored the state's ambition to support the Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centres (CGIAR), including partners like the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the International Potato Centre (CIP). These collaborations will leverage advanced technologies to boost food production and quality.
• Agricultural Progress and Achievements: Uttar Pradesh is a key contributor to India’s food production, contributing 21% of the national output despite comprising only 11% of the country’s cultivable area. 
  • Over the past eight years, state government efforts have led to a fivefold increase in agri-food production, particularly in cereals, pulses, oilseeds, and vegetables.
  • The success is a result of state-driven initiatives like the Soil Health Card, crop insurance, and the Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, benefiting over 10 crore farmers annually.
• Capacity Building: The state's four agricultural universities, with plans for another, are central to the research and knowledge-sharing efforts that are driving agricultural transformation.
• Traditional Agricultural Wisdom: The Chief Minister highlighted that the rich agricultural traditions of Uttar Pradesh, such as the iconic Kalanamak rice, part of the One District One Product initiative, hold historical significance, having been offered as Mahaprasad by Lord Buddha.