New Delhi, Feb. 14 -- Uttar Pradesh is undergoing a structural shift in agriculture, moving beyond its traditional identity as a bulk producer of foodgrains to emerge as a strategic food-security hub. The state today leads the country in the production of wheat, sugarcane, milk and amla, while also accounting for the largest national output of rice, banana, mango, guava and mentha. This transformation reflects not geography alone, but a combination of policy continuity, administrative reform and fiscal discipline over the past several years.

The agricultural growth rate, which stood at 8.6% in 2016-17, is projected to have risen to 17.7% in 2024-25. With only about 11% of India's cultivable land, Uttar Pradesh contributes more than 20% o...