UP govt to distribute 92,518 mini kits for Rabi 2025-26 season

The Uttar Pradesh government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, has announced the distribution of over 92,000 mini kits to farmers for the Rabi 2025-26 season as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance agricultural productivity and support farmer welfare.

A mini kit is a pre-packed set of high-quality seeds and inputs designed to encourage farmers to adopt new crop varieties. These kits typically include improved pulse seeds along with essential fertilizers or bio-agents, allowing farmers to experiment with modern cultivation techniques with minimal financial risk.

In addition to mini kits, the Uttar Pradesh Agriculture Department will organise 8,385 Kisan Pathshalas and block demonstrations across the state. These training sessions expose farmers to modern cultivation methods, seed treatment practices, and crop management techniques, which have been shown to increase productivity, reduce input costs, and improve crop quality. Real-time demonstrations on farmers’ fields also allow participants to witness the effectiveness of these techniques before applying them on a larger scale.

The Rabi season, spanning from October to March, is dominated by crops such as wheat, barley, mustard, and pulses. Compared to the Kharif season, Rabi crops generally experience lower pest and disease incidence, resulting in higher yields. Pulses grown in this season also contribute to soil fertility by fixing nitrogen, which benefits subsequent crops.

To further promote pulse cultivation, the state government is offering various incentive-based programmes. These include the free distribution of mini kits, acre demonstrations, and Kisan Pathshalas. Farmers will also receive grants of Rs 4,000 per acre to support the adoption of modern production technologies.

Under the National Food Security and Poshan Mission, grants for pulse seeds are structured as follows: Rs 5,000 per quintal for seeds less than 10 years old, and Rs 2,500 per quintal for seeds older than 10 years. For demonstration purposes, Rs 9,000 per hectare is allocated for cluster demonstrations and Rs 15,000 per hectare for crop method demonstrations. Seed subsidies are provided through outsourced grants, while demonstration grants are directly transferred to farmers via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

Speaking on the initiative, Uttar Pradesh Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi said, “The state government recognises farmers as the backbone of the nation and is committed to their welfare. Recently, a state-level Rabi seminar enabled thousands of farmers to learn modern agricultural techniques. Farmers are advised to treat seeds with bio-chemicals and crop protection chemicals before sowing to prevent seed-borne and soil-borne diseases. Use of rhizobium culture can stabilize 20-25 kg of nitrogen in the soil, reducing input costs and enhancing productivity.”

Through these efforts, the Uttar Pradesh Agriculture Department aims to improve pulse crop production, increase farmer incomes, and strengthen the state’s overall agricultural output during the Rabi 2025-26 season.