Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that a thoughtful practical work plan should be prepared to double the income of farmers. Besides, short term emergency schemes should be prepared for areas being affected by scanty rainfall and no rainfall at all.
Make proper arrangements for water storage assessing the water requirement for irrigation and drinking. All the measures should be taken at war footing to preserve the flowing water. Similarly, in the same context, the other departments linked with the agriculture like power, horticulture, irrigation and PHE etc must ensure necessary action before time. Chouhan issued these directives while chairing the Agriculture Cabinet Meeting held at Mantralaya on Monday.
Chouhan stated that interest should be developed among the farmers towards farmers’ conventions. Complete detail regarding preparations for doubling the income should be provided. Success story of farmers taking alternate crops with detail should be given in effective manner. Inform them about the use of soil health card. Outlets for sale of organic produces should be opened besides its certification. Along with paddy procurement, make concrete arrangements for registration under the Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana (Price Differnece Payment Scheme).
Chouhan issued instructions for establishing big units of food processing at panchayat level. He also told for encouraging shed net house farming on the occasion. He directed for making efforts to make the state first in wheat production per hectare by setting a target. Furthermore, he laid emphasis for focus on areas situated on the banks of river Narmada under the agro forestry expansion programme.
A unanimous decision was taken in the Agriculture Cabinet that custom hiring centres should be established under the Kisan Santan Udhyami yojana. Farmers’ conventions should be organised from September 30 to October 15.
Also a State-level workshop of scientists and officers taking part in the conventions should be organised. Information regarding intent and importance of conventions should be given to all the concerned. Moreover, farmers should be encouraged to sell straw in areas where farmers used to burn crops remainders. Custom processing centres should be opened at each block head quarters. These should be utilized for encouraging other entrepreneurs and their training. Moreover, training of beekeeping should be encouraged and in addition kisan bazaars should be established in 378 urban bodies. Consent in principle was given for new scheme for establishing custom hiring centres of primary food processing and price stabilisation.
Principal Secretary Rajesh Rajora gave presentation of agriculture department in the meeting.
Information was given on roadmap for doubling the farmers’ income and its implementation status during the last 18 months. He informed that Madhya Pradesh holds first position in organic certification process in the country under grams, soybean, total pulses crops, oil seeds crops, guava and tomatoes.
Organic cotton, soybean and wheat are being produced in the state. Productivity target fixed for millet, arhar, urad and moong has been achieved in the year 2016-17 itself in comparison to the target of 2022 for productivity of Kharif crops. Similarly, the productivity of rabi crops like barley and brown lentil has become more in the year 2016-17 keeping in view the productivity target of 2022.