Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said digital governance has transformed the loan approval process in the state, enabling farmers to avail credit within 5 minutes through the e-Kisan Credit Card (e-KCC) system.“Earlier, farmers waited 25 days to a month for loans,” the CM said in his address at the State Credit Seminar 2026-27, where the State Focus Paper was also released. He also announced that the agricultural credit target for 2026-27 was set at Rs 3 lakh crore, a 13% increase over the previous year. Yogi felicitated several Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) on the occasion. Elaborating on the use of technology in farming, the CM said UP is actively exploring Artificial Intelligence in agriculture. The Union Budget announced an AI Agriculture Platform, and UP was already working in that direction, he said. The CM appreciated agriculture models showcased at the seminar, mentioning a mustard production company in Mathura run by 750 women. “By linking production with processing, they increased profits. This is a lesson for the entire state, and the govt will extend full support to such initiatives,” he said. He said the cooperative sector is undergoing a major transformation, adding that UP is the first in the country to work with the World Bank in the field of agri-tech. Agriculture, MSMEs, women empowerment and youth entrepreneurship remain the govt’s top priorities, he said. Recalling the pre-2017 period, Yogi said the cooperative sector was dominated by mafia, leading the RBI to declare 16 district cooperative banks as defaulters. “Now, 15 of those banks have turned profitable, and efforts were underway to revive the remaining one,” he said. The CM said the MSME sector, which collapsed, leading to large-scale migration, was revived through the One District One Product initiative, and UP became the first state to provide security insurance of Rs 5 lakh to MSME units. “The state’s credit-deposit ratio increased from 43% to 61% over the past 9 years, and we set a target of 65% in 2026-27. Strong steps were taken to empower small and marginal farmers, and UP is the first state in the country, and maybe in the world, with 86% irrigated land. Free electricity is being provided to 16 lakh tube wells, canal irrigation is free, and solar panels were distributed to 1 lakh farmers,” he said. Calling UP an example of sound financial management, yogi said per capita income increased from Rs 43,000 in 2016 to Rs 1.20 lakh, while the fiscal deficit remains below 3%, and no new taxes were imposed for several years. “Agricultural growth rose from 8% to over 18%, and despite having only 11% of the country’s cultivable land, UP contributes 21% of India’s total foodgrain production, he said. The CM further said making policies alone was not enough and their impact must be visible on the ground. He urged banks, NABARD and financial institutions to combine training with credit to accelerate employment, income generation and self-reliance.
