Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday took part in a detailed discussion in a video conference with the Union Agriculture, Farmers Welfare, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on the implementation of Agriculture Infrastructure Fund.
Union Minister Tomar held a discussion with States about infrastructure fund in agriculture sector under Atmanirbhar Bharat in the video conference and urged them to make the project successful, prepared by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the prosperity of farmers.
On this occasion, Chief Minister Chouhan said that Madhya Pradesh will work to derive maximum benefit from the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund under Prime Minister Modis Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Chief Minister Chouhan said that this is a wonderful scheme to double the income of farmers. Government of Madhya Pradesh will leave no stone unturned in its implementation. The Madhya Pradesh Government has started concrete efforts to implement it on ground.
The efforts made by Madhya Pradesh were highlighted in the video conference on Friday. Officials of the Union Ministry of Agriculture described the advance initiative taken in Madhya Pradesh to take advantage of the provisions of Agriculture Infrastructure Fund through Atmanirbhar webinars as exemplary for other States.
Both the Ministers of State of the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Purushottam Rupala and Kailash Chaudhary, besides Chief Minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Trivendra Singh Rawat and Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministers of Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and other states were present at the video conference of Union Agriculture Ministry.
Chouhan assured the Union Minister that well-planned efforts will be made in Madhya Pradesh to double the income of farmers by the year 2022. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative and Horticulture have commenced activities in this direction.
The formation of State Level Monitoring Committee and District Level Monitoring Committees on behalf of the Department of Agriculture, aims to expand the Farmers Producer Organizations (FPO) as a movement. Instructions have been given to send at least two proposals from every block under the scheme.
Two committees comprising officers of Cooperatives Department, Apex Bank and MARKFED have been constituted on behalf of the Cooperatives Department including officers of Government undertakings NABARD and NCVC. As per the laid down norms, 263 District Level Primary Agricultural Credit Cooperative Societies (PACS) and 54 Marketing Societies have already been identified.
Chouhan informed that a chain of high breed seed grading plant, vacuum wheat packing unit, warehouse, cold storage will be developed in Madhya Pradesh.
Processing units will be developed in Madhya Pradesh while taking advantage of surplus production of vegetables and fruits in different districts under Ek Jila- Ek Pehchan. At present, farmers do not get the benefits in the event of a decline in prices of the produce due to higher production. Pack house, cold room, integrated house, integrated cold chain supply, mobile processing unit and cases of sorting and grading are being prepared by the Horticulture Department.
In this regard, concrete suggestions received in the recent discussions held to create a roadmap in Atmanirbhar webinars will be implemented. Chief Minister Chouhan said that he endorses Prime Minister Modi views that farmers welfare is not possible only through subsidy etc. but a long term plan should be made and maximum benefits should be provided while protecting the producers from middlemen. Chouhan said that startups in the field of agricultural production will also be encouraged in the state.
Madhya Pradesh is committed to derive better results under the package of Atmanirbhar Bharat.