Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath attended the 'Natural Farming Workshop-2026' in Kanpur on Thursday, 18 June 2026, reaffirming the state government's push to promote chemical-free agriculture and connect farmers with modern techniques. The Chief Minister also honoured farmers who have demonstrated excellence in natural farming practices.

Posting on X, the Chief Minister wrote: 'Aane wali peedhiyaan swasth, sashakt aur samridh banein, prakritik kheti is disha mein ek prabhavi madhyam ban sakti hai' — 'So that coming generations are healthy, empowered and prosperous, natural farming can be an effective medium in this direction.' He added that the workshop was convened to encourage natural agriculture and link annadata (provider) farmers with the latest technology.

Context

Kanpur, one of Uttar Pradesh's largest cities, hosted the state-level workshop bringing together farmers, agriculture officials and policymakers. The event served as both a knowledge-sharing platform and a felicitation ceremony, with outstanding practitioners of natural farming receiving formal recognition from the Chief Minister.

The term annadata — literally 'giver of food' — is widely used in Indian political discourse to refer to the farming community, and its use by Yogi Adityanath underscores the government's framing of agriculture as a vocation deserving of dignity and state support.

Policy Backdrop

Uttar Pradesh expanded its natural farming clusters and training programmes after 2021-22, progressively bringing thousands of hectares under chemical-free cultivation. The state's approach is aligned with central government schemes promoting organic and zero-budget natural farming as tools for reducing input costs and improving soil health.

Natural farming — which typically relies on cow-based inputs such as jeevamrit and bijamrit rather than synthetic fertilisers and pesticides — has been championed across several Indian states as a response to soil degradation, rising input costs and the need for climate-resilient agriculture. Yogi Adityanath, as head of the Gorakhnath Math, has historically emphasised cow-based farming within the state's agricultural policy framework.

The broader national push connects to public health objectives as well: reducing chemical residues in the food chain is increasingly cited by policymakers as a reason to accelerate the transition away from input-intensive farming models.

Stakeholders and Impact

Uttar Pradesh has the largest farming population of any Indian state, making shifts in its agriculture policy consequential at a national scale. Small and marginal farmers — who form the bulk of the state's agricultural workforce — stand to benefit most from reduced input costs associated with natural farming methods.

The felicitation of progressive farmers at the Kanpur workshop is intended to create visible role models within farming communities, encouraging peer-to-peer adoption of chemical-free techniques. State-level recognition of this kind has historically helped accelerate grassroots uptake of new agricultural practices.

What's Next

The government is expected to follow the Kanpur workshop with district-level training events, expanding the reach of natural farming education across Uttar Pradesh's 75 districts. Budget allocations for natural farming inputs and possible integration with a forthcoming national framework on sustainable agriculture will be closely watched by the farming community and policy observers alike.

The trajectory suggests that natural farming will remain a central pillar of the state's agricultural roadmap, with the 2026 workshop marking a visible public commitment by the Chief Minister ahead of further policy announcements.