Draft Annual Plan 1999-2000 Volume I (Part-II)

Abstract

Uttar Pradesh occupies 9% of the total area of the nation and constitutes about 16% of the country’s population. the State is spread over around 294411 square kilometers. During 1950-51 large part of the land in the state was lying as barren and culturable waste. the net cultivated area during 1950- 51 in Uttar Pradesh was only 162.51 lakh hectare, with a cropping intensity of only 122.97%. 2- the irrigated area during 1950-51 in Uttar Pradesh was only 29.8% of the net cultivated area with irrigation intensity of 107.6% only. the level of productivity in the State was also very low. the average productivity of food grains in the State was only 6.89 quintal per hectare during 1950-51. the major crops were rice, wheat coarse cereals and the hardy pulses. 3. During the period of five decades after independence, there has been a considerable transformation in the status of the agriculture in U.P.