A workshop with an action plan for enhancing per capita income in the agriculture and allied sectors was held here on Tuesday.
The meeting, with a vision to enhance the per capita income of the district to double by next five years with a three year road map prepared by various line departments, was convened by MP RK Jena. Besides district level officers, scientists from Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI), Principal Secretary (IARI) Dr UK Behera and senior scientist IARI Dr Tusharkanti Behera were among present. Thirty prospective farmers across the district, who were invited, to the meeting put forth their problems and difficulties.
MlAs Jiban Pradip Dash, Aswani Patra, Nityananda Sahu, Gobinda Das and district Collector Pramod Das attended the brain storming session. MP Jena said that the per capita income of Baleswar was `19,268 against the State average of `25,891). Similarly, he said the per capita income of the Kandhmal is `40,729 while for Jharsuguda it is highest with `49,021. He said that Baleswar sands at 22 in the State so far as per capita income is concerned and it is even lesser than that of Koraput, Balangir and Kalahandi.
He also expressed serious concern over the role of the brokers and middlemen in delivering the commodities from farmers to the consumers. Jena further said about 250 MT vegetables arrive in Baleswar every day, mainly from AP, Bengal, Jharkhand and Maharashtra etc which is about `1 crore. He advised for self-reliance in the matter.
Deliberating on the topic, programme coordinator, Krushi Vigyan Kendra (KBK) Dr Sanjay Mohanty opined for diversification of farming. He stressed on soil conservation, rainwater harvesting, water shed etc. stating that north Baleswar patch was experiencing depletion of ground water level. He suggested for storage godown in panchayat level and seed processing plant in block level.
The other suggestions were cultivation of superfine hybrid rice and aromatic rice in at least 30 per cent of the current paddy cultivable area, use of digitised rubber sheller, crop diversification, increase in horticulture varieties and value addition in all produces including in the dry fish.
For growth of economy, he emphasised on the commercial floriculture, contract farming, mechanisation of farming, fruit bearing tree plantation in the waste land and enhancement in the milk, meat and egg production.
Dr Behera of the IARI stressed on climate resilient technology, laser land levelling, zero tilling etc urging farmers not to use unnecessary fertilizers.
The villagers demanded soil testing mobile van, identification of village for seeding, sanitisation of seeds, loan from cooperative, encouragement of mustard cultivation and above all solution to monkey menace.
