Uttar Pradesh Agriculture Growth and Rural Enterprise Ecosystem Strengthening
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Uttar Pradesh Agriculture Growth and Rural Enterprise Ecosystem Strengthening Project (UP-AGREES)
The UP-AGREES project, with an outlay of US $500 million, is envisaged to be implemented over six years. The project development objective is to “promote climate resilient, inclusive, and competitive value-chains of prioritized agriculture commodities in Uttar Pradesh”. The key project components are as follows:
Productivity Enhancement
This component focuses on strengthening agricultural productivity against the backdrop of high levels of climate risks and variability in productivity across the project areas. It focuses on strengthening Uttar Pradesh’s formidable position as the leading producer of multiple crops while enhancing the resilience of the dominant production systems. This component aims to address the existing productivity challenges through improved access to climate-smart inputs and efficient use of natural and fostering innovations that promote sustainability. The component will create a scale-friendly template for the uptake of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) investments by way of: (a) prioritization of affordable agricultural inputs, machinery, and technologies that boost farm productivity complemented by targeted extension services, (b) fortification of the production ecosystem targeting higher input efficiencies and soil fertility management, and (c) leveraging voluntary market-based mechanisms that seek to secure emissions reductions or avoidance credits (carbon or green) for sustainable agricultural practices.
Commodity Clusters
The objective of this component is to support the integration of smallholder farmers into value chains for select high-value commodities, thereby increasing productivity, value addition, and farmers’ incomes. The component will address the current fragmentation of production and market activities in the sector and take advantage of the State’s potential to increase the commercialization of select high-value crops in domestic and export markets. The approach will be to identify and support ‘agri-clusters’, which are networks of producers, agribusinesses, and public institutions within a defined geographic area engaged in the same agricultural subsector. This approach’s core is the institutions within a defined geographic area engaged in the same agricultural subsector. At the core of this approach is the interlinkage between the producer and the private off-taker, whether that be an agri-processor, exporter, or retailer. This partnership will be supported by production and market-based service providers, both public and private. By supporting strategic clusters, the aim is to build upon the existing competitive advantage of selected commodities and enhance these through working across the clusters.
This component will also work towards enhancing fish productivity in farm ponds and reservoirs and improving access to the market. The sub-component seeks to unlock the fisheries potential of underutilized, underachieved reservoirs and farm ponds in Uttar Pradesh. The project will work with premier National Fisheries Research and Development Institutions under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in cooperation with local Agricultural Universities to fill the gap in aquaculture and fisheries management technologies in UP
Digital and Financial Ecosystems
The project will harness forward-looking Industry 4.0 technologies and integrate state-of-the-art technologies like AI, big data analytics, IoT, GIS, and drone technology to pioneer an Agriculture 3.0 revolution in Uttar Pradesh. The interventions will align with national programs such as IndEA , IDEA and Agristack. The objective of the sub-component is to establish a state-wide digital agriculture ecosystem, UP AGRIVERSE, to support the GoUP with digital technologies, and develop data-sharing protocols for enhanced real-time monitoring. The project will assist the GoUP in developing a comprehensive digital agriculture policy and contribute to the global repository of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). Further, this component will strive to improve per capita agri-credit from the formal financial institutions
to improve productive investments and competitiveness in the agri-allied areas. The proposed interventions will cater to the diverse needs of agri-producers and market players ranging from small and marginal farmers to agriprenuers, farmer collectives, and agri MSEs (micro and small enterprises) through a range of financial instruments including but not limited to digitizing KCC, launching blended finance loan products, creating a challenge fund, etc.
Project Management, Learning, and Partnerships
The objectives of this component are to develop management and monitoring systems, enhance staff capacity for effective and efficient implementation of project activities, and develop partnerships with key national and global public and private sector organizations.
