LUCKNOW, July 5 -- Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said that mango growers in Uttar Pradesh were enhancing the state's global image with extraordinary varieties and rising exports, thanks to modern farming and government support. Speaking at the inaugural event of the three-day UP Mango Festival 2025 in Lucknow, he praised farmers for improving both quality and productivity despite climate change. Adityanath also advised farmers to explore the cultivation of an additional third crop each year to increase their agricultural income. The festival features more than 800 varieties of mangoes collected from orchards across the country, drawing attention from visitors and buyers alike. Highlighting that mangoes weighing up to 3 kg were now being grown in UP, the CM said such varieties were drawing international attention and helping realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a self-reliant India. He said four modern pack houses had been set up in Lucknow, Amroha, Saharanpur, and Varanasi to promote exports and equip farmers with global packaging and marketing standards. Adityanath said mangoes were air-shipped to two countries during the event, and that subsidies and improved market access have led to better prices and rising confidence among fruit growers. He called UP a rising horticulture hub and noted the success of local varieties like Dussehri, Langda, Amrapali, and Ratol. He said agriculture and horticulture now contributed more to the state's GDP due to water projects like Arjun Sahayak and Saryu Canal, which have turned previously parched regions into multi-crop zones. Farmers in areas like Hardoi and Auraiya are now earning up to Rs 1 lakh per acre from maize, he added. The CM said the state aimed to plant 50 crore saplings on July 9 under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' drive, up from the 5-crore target in 2017, reflecting UP's environmental and agricultural strides. He visited each stall and interacted with growers showcasing varieties such as Lucknow's Dussehri, Varanasi's Langda, Gorakhpur's Gaurjeet, Basti's Amrapali, and the Ratol mangoes from Meerut and Baghpat. He praised their dedication and modern practices, calling Uttar Pradesh a rising hub of horticulture. He urged that mango festivals be held at commissionerate level and encouraged diversification through food processing and crops like turmeric and ginger. "For significantly higher income farming, industrial crops, and value addition are essential, Farmers should begin preparing to choose crops that can be cultivated alongside their main crops, be it fruits, turmeric, ginger or others," added Adityanath....