Prayagraj: In a major push to boost agricultural exports and double farmers’ income, the Uttar Pradesh govt has approved three agricultural product export clusters in the Prayagraj division under the Agriculture Export Policy 2019. The clusters, dedicated to amla, bananas and green chilies, are expected to significantly increase exports from the region, which have already surged from ₹6 crore in 2023-24 to Rs 79 crore in 2025-26.The state government has identified agricultural exports as a key driver of higher farm incomes, as access to international markets enables farmers to secure better prices for their produce.To facilitate the process, agricultural monitoring committees have been constituted at the state, divisional and district levels. Efforts are also underway to strengthen coordination between farmers and exporters while enabling farmers to directly export their produce through cluster-based development.Dr. Dinesh Chandra, Assistant Agricultural Marketing Officer for the Prayagraj division, said the three export clusters have received approval under Schedule-I of the Uttar Pradesh Agriculture Export Policy 2019, with the nod from the State-Level Agricultural Monitoring Committee.He said dedicated export clusters are essential as agricultural production in the division continues to rise. The clusters will focus on amla cultivation in Pratapgarh district and banana and green chili production in Fatehpur district.According to Chandra, Pratapgarh produces 6,782 metric tonnes of amla annually across 7,986 hectares. Fatehpur produces 4,22,804 metric tonnes of bananas across 9,250 hectares and 13,531 metric tonnes of green chilies across 5,507 hectares.Despite substantial production, the region lacked dedicated agricultural export clusters until now. Officials believe the new clusters will encourage the expansion of cultivation areas, promote collective farming activities and improve farmers’ productivity.Dharmpal Prajapati, a farmer from Fatehpur, said the formation of clusters would encourage standardised cultivation practices and the use of uniform seed varieties, ultimately helping farmers earn more through exports.Exports from the Prayagraj division stood at Rs 6 crore in 2023-24 and increased to Rs 26 crore in 2024-25. The figure has further risen to around ₹79 crore in 2025-26, with officials expecting a sharper increase following the establishment of the export clusters.
