Lucknow, May 12: Uttar Pradesh has long faced issues related to stray cattle, cow smuggling, and illegal slaughterhouses. However, under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s leadership, the state is now gaining recognition for its initiatives in cow conservation, natural farming, and a new model for rural economy.
The Yogi government plans to develop approximately 7,500 cow shelters into organic fertilizer production centers. This initiative aims to create significant employment opportunities for rural youth. The government’s objective is to connect cow conservation not just with religious or cultural sentiments but also with farmers’ income, natural farming, women’s empowerment, and rural employment.
Shyam Bihari Gupta, Chairman of the Cow Service Commission, stated that around 1.25 million cattle are currently sheltered in these facilities. The government is set to promote a natural farming model based on cow dung and cow urine, aimed at reducing farming costs and increasing farmers’ income.
Each cow produces about 5 liters of urine and 10 kilograms of dung daily. These resources will be utilized to create organic fertilizers, natural pesticides, and other cow-based products. This approach will reduce reliance on chemical fertilizers and enhance soil fertility. The Yogi government has allocated ₹2,000 crore for the cow conservation campaign, with an additional ₹100 crore earmarked for establishing large-scale cow conservation centers, bringing the total expenditure to ₹2,100 crore.
Construction of 155 large cow conservation centers is also progressing rapidly. The government’s goal is to establish at least one self-sustaining cow conservation center in each district. Following Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s directives, women’s self-help groups and farmer producer organizations (FPOs) will also be involved in managing these shelters. The plan includes training selected women’s groups in cattle care, nutrition, organic fertilizer production, and product management. This initiative will provide employment to rural women, develop new income sources in villages, and strengthen the cow conservation movement as a community-driven model. The Yogi government is working to make cow service a means of rural prosperity and women’s self-reliance.
Under the Chief Minister’s Participation Scheme, over 180,000 cattle have been distributed to approximately 125,000 livestock owners. To support cattle feeding, the government is transferring ₹50 per day for each animal directly to the bank accounts of livestock owners through direct benefit transfer (DBT). This system has curbed corruption and increased transparency, thereby strengthening the rural economy. Gupta noted that before 2017, incidents of cow smuggling were common in the state, but strict actions against illegal slaughterhouses have led to their complete closure since Yogi Adityanath took office.
The extensive and organized efforts in cow conservation under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s leadership are unprecedented. This is why Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the leading state in India for cow conservation efforts.
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