Drip irrigation technique can be considered as the best substitute to cope up with the current water shortage and the farmers should come forward to adopt this technique, said State Horticulture minister Amrita Rawat while inaugurating a workshop cum exhibition based on micro irrigation techniques, its challenges and scope in Dehradun on Monday.
"The subsidy given to the farmers by the government should be increased from 10 per cent to around 30 percent. The government should also keep organising such exhibitions and programmes to encourage farmers more and more for progressive agriculture," maintained Rawat.
Farmers should also be taken on agricultural tours to different places to educate them more about the latest agricultural techniques and innovations in farming.
"Instead of doing the traditional farming, the farmers should try variations like medicinal and aromatic plant cultivation. Medicinal and aromatic plant cultivation is beneficial and profitable business in comparison to the traditional farming. The climatic condition of Uttarakhand is very much suitable for the cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants and farmers should go for it as this would also add in to their revenues," she stressed.
Meanwhile, farmers including Govind Singh, Jamuna Das, Diwan Singh, Jai Singh, Pushkar Dutt, lal Singh, Chain Singh Rana, Devendra Singh Negi, Prem Singh, Vedprakash Gupta, Shiv Sharan, Surendra Singh, Shiv Singh and Jeet Singh were awarded certificates for using progressive techniques in farming.
Among those present on the occasion were principal secretary, Horticulture, Om Prakash, additional secretary, Horticulture, RC Sharma, State director of National Horticulture Mission and State Nodal Officer of National Mission on Micro Irrigation BS Negi and many others.