Testing labs to be built in Agricultural Universities | 20 Jun 2023

Why in News?

• On June 19, 2023, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in a meeting of the Board of Directors of the State Agricultural Produce Market Council held in Lucknow, directed to set up testing labs in the state's agricultural universities, in which organic and natural products will be verified.

Key Points:

• The Chief Minister said that the Tissue Culture laboratory should be established in Acharya Narendra Dev University of Agriculture & Technology, Kumarganj (Ayodhya). This laboratory should be established in a large campus of at least 3 hectares. Funds for this will be arranged by the Mandi Council.
• He said that agriculture & technology university, Banda, Aligarh Muslim University, Rani Laxmibai Central Agricultural University, Jhansi, Bundelkhand University, Jhansi and 37 other colleges will also be included in the 'Chief Minister Farmer Scholarship Scheme'.
• Outlets of organic and natural products in the state are currently established at the divisional headquarters. These need to be extended to the district headquarters. Outlets should also be opened in mandi committees and organic & natural markets should be set up.
• Lab testing is necessary for the verification, and branding of organic/natural products of the farmers of the state. Although laboratories are operated by the Food Safety and Drug Administration in Lucknow, Meerut, Banaras and Jhansi, there are no labs in the agricultural universities of the state. In such a situation, testing labs will be set up in all 44 agricultural universities of the state by the Mandi Council.
• The Chief Minister said that new haat penetration and farmer mandis should be constructed according to regional needs and track traders should be accommodated here. The construction work of hostels in agricultural universities with the help of Mandi Council will be inspected by the Agriculture Minister.