Lucknow: Ajay Banga, president of the World Bank Group, has praised Uttar Pradesh’s efforts to combine technology with agriculture, calling the state’s “resilient farming model” a global example for small and marginal farmers.
He made these remarks at the AgriConnect Flagship event during the 2025 World Bank Annual Meetings, highlighting the Yogi Adityanath government’s model, which he had personally seen during his visit to the state, said Vishal Singh, the state’s director of information.
“The World Bank also posted its chief’s speech on X, where he described what he witnessed in Uttar Pradesh,” he said.
The UP government also issued a statement noting that Banga praised the Yogi Adityanath government for creating an agricultural ecosystem with resilience built in. The statement emphasised that climate adaptability was integrated from the beginning, rather than added afterwards.
“The way Uttar Pradesh is addressing climate challenges through its farmers is remarkable,” Banga said in his speech that was shared by the UP government.
The World Bank chief praised the Yogi Adityanath government’s initiatives to use climate-tolerant seeds, soil-specific fertilisers, regenerative farming methods, efficient irrigation systems, and strong crop insurance measures.
“The aim is that one bad season should not destroy a farmer’s entire life,” he said. Speaking at an event, Banga said, “What I saw in Uttar Pradesh is not theory, but a working reality.”
He highlighted that digital technology plays a key role, acting as the “glue” that holds the whole system together. “A simple AI tool or mobile phone can diagnose crop diseases, suggest fertilizers, give early weather alerts, and enable secure payments,” he explained.
Simple AI tools and mobile phones now help farmers diagnose crop diseases, guide fertiliser use, issue weather alerts, and ensure secure digital payments, the UP government quoted Banga as saying in the statement.
Looking back at his earlier visit, Banga said Uttar Pradesh has shown how resilience, local cooperatives, and digital tools can come together to create a strong and scalable farming system. “This model works. It is proof of concept,” the UP government said, quoting Banga’s speech.
He said this data helps farmers build a credit history, making loans cheaper and improving financial inclusion, a “virtuous loop” of trust and investment. During his recent visit to Uttar Pradesh, Banga saw this system in action, watching how local cooperatives and digital platforms work together to support farmers.
“It’s a proven model that must now be scaled. Success depends on coordinated efforts between government, business, and development partners,” he said.
He highlighted the partnership between the World Bank and the Yogi government, mentioning the launch of the UP AGRISE project, which aims to strengthen the state’s agriculture system through technology and financial support.
The initiative aims to help about one million small and marginal farmers by giving them real-time information on weather, seeds, markets, and insurance through a digital farming system. Banga said that Uttar Pradesh has become a “living model of smart agricultural transformation” that the world can look to for protecting and improving small farmers’ livelihoods.
