Uttarakhand received the Krishi Karman award for foodgrain production, category II for 2017-18. The Prime minister Narendra Modi presented the award at a programme in Karnataka to Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat the state’s Agriculture minister Subodh Uniyal on Thursday. Two progressive farmers from the state- Kaushalya from Kapkot and Jagmohan Rana from Bhatwadi were also felicitated on the occasion.

Rawat thanked the prime minister for selecting Uttarakhand for the Krishi Karman award, recalling that Modi had given the target of doubling the income of farmers by 2022.

Uttarakhand is working hard to meet the target set by the prime minister, he said. Rawat informed that of the 53.48 lakh hectare area in Uttarakhand, agriculture area comprises about 11.21 per cent. Out of this, about 56 per cent is in the mountainous region while 89 per cent of the farmland is not irrigated and dependent on rain.

In the state, about 92 per cent farmers are small and marginal. Under the guidance of the Government of India and with the efforts of the farmers and the Agriculture department, the state has been able to fulfill its food-grain requirements and become self reliant.

He further said that of the 8.38 lakh beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Samman Nidhi, 6.84 lakh farmers have benefitted so far. About 6.72 lakh farmers have received the first instalment, 6.56 lakh have received the second instalment and six lakh have received the third instalment while 4.34 lakh have received the fourth instalment.

The remaining farmers are also being connected with the scheme for which the selection and registration process is underway. Rawat said that the PM has expected Uttarakhand to be developed as an organic state. For this purpose, the state government has covered the entire mountainous region for fully farming.

Speaking about the traditional agriculture development scheme, he said that in the next two years, about 1.50 lakh hectare area will come under organic certification.

For mechanisation of agriculture, 755 farm machinery banks have been set up so far. The State Government is aiming to establish a farm machinery bank in every Gram Panchayat. A total of 212 projects of 23 departments have been included in the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana.

Speaking about the measures taken to protect farms from wild animals, he said that about 183 kilometre fencing had been done in 108 villages.