CM presses button for 50 food processing units, promises 24X7 power to farmers
After series of landmark achievements in the field of minerals, industry and non-farm sector, the State has broken the jinx. Taking a turn from the traditional sectors the Government organised first ever Global Agriculture and Food Summit that paved way for series of measures and initiatives to be taken for the 28 lakh odd farmers in the State.
Chief Minister Raghubar Das along with Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh on Thursday opened the two-day Summit where thousands of farmers from all over the State and other parts of the country, five partner countries Israel, China, Mangolia, Philippines, Tunisia along with a focus country Morocco and leaders of agro-business such as Coca Cola, Safal, Mother Dairy, Amul took part.
The gathering underlining the purpose of the summit explained at length that doubling farmers’ income by 2022 in sustainable manner, growing production of farm produces and allied activities such as dairy, fishery, horticulture, beekeeping etc and pledging to provide far greater facilities to peasants were some of the aims.
The community did not get any chance to feel let down since the Chief Minister announced ground breaking of 50 food processing units that would purchase agricultural produce directly from the farmers and provide them better income. Besides, the Chief Minister promised separate electricity feeder for farmers by May next year with six hours of power supply that would be raised to round the clock by August 2019, farm loan without interest if it is paid back within one year, smart phones to 28 lakh farmers to get benefits of the electronic market e-NAM and sending 100 farmers every year to the countries like Israel, Philippines and others to impart training.
“The Government wants to make farmers their own lord. The community has been the grain providers for all of us and they cannot be left to be looted by middlemen or cheated by anyone. Mobile phones would be provided to all of the farmers of the State by 2021 so that they can get connected with global market place and get right value of their produce. Separate feeders for farmers, industry and domestic users are on the way,” said the Chief Minister in his address.
Underling the contribution of farm community in the development of the country the CM termed them soul of the society. “Poverty alleviation can be done only by diversifying the farm sector and introducing latest technologies in the field of food processing since we have not been able to transform status of farmers even after 70 years of independence. Needs of today’s market has to be taken into consideration which are some of the major purpose behind organising this summit,” added the CM referring to 19 per cent growth rate the agriculture sector has achieved in the last four years in the State from negative.
The CM also suggested farmers to go for organic farming and for technologies needing less water and land but more output and also keeping demand of the world and exporters in mind to gain more income with the help of dairy, fishery and poultry.
Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh compared the impetus provided by the Narendra Modi Government to agriculture sector with the state of affairs were during the previous regimes.
“The family that ruled for 48 years should be ashamed of the status of farmers in this country who were left staggering at one place while the family was busy in corruption. Recommendations of Dr Swaminathan Commission and Farmers’ Commission left into cold storages until Narendra Modi became Prime Minister. Budgetary allocations for e-market, organic farming, micro irrigation have seen considerable rise.
For the first time MSP of paddy has been given 1.5 times over and above the input cost,” said the Minister informing that 1000 rural haats would be taken to e-NAM platform in Jharkhand which is 588 at present.
