Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh, who was on a tour of Uttarakhand, has categorically said that the Government is trying to increase the agricultural production as well as the cultivable land area. As is known, due to the pressure of urbanisation affecting the agricultural land, the authorities have been laying emphasis on how to increase the cultivable land area as well. He also said that there is provision under National Forestry Development scheme (NFDS) under which 20 types of timber have been excluded from Forest Act but the Uttarakhand Government did not make the said amendment in its act. Now the Government will make the said amendment in it.
In Uttarakhand it may not be implemented because of forest land but other states like Gujarat have made full use of the project and converted barren land into cultivable land. In the ministry there are about 1500 schemes running under flexi-scheme through agriculture and allied sectors like in animal husbandry and fishery etc.
The Union Minister also said that during review meeting in Dehradun he was disappointed when he came to know that for the past three years the State Government did not make use of the released budget of the agriculture ministry. If the State would have submitted the utilisation certificate (UC) of the released budget then they might have received another installement and that could have changed the picture of the State in agriculture sector. However, the Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has categorically said that the State Government will make use of the all released budget by March 2018 under any circumstance. Since inception of the Narendra Modi led NDA government at the centre, the government has been laying emphasis on micro irrigation and this year there has been an increase in the budget allocation under this head. In this, the government has been laying stress of more crop per drop. He further said that Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Jharkhand had not used their allocated budget. Before visiting the state of Uttarakhand he also had a meeting with the UP chief minister and officials of the state after which he had a deliberation with Uttarakhand government as well. The state officials here have assured that they would make full use of the union government aided projects.
About 12 years ago Gujarat’s agriculture production was not upto the mark but now their agriculture development rate (ADR) has touched to 14 per cent because they have used drip irrigation. There is a misconception that if one irrigates ones land more then the production would increase whereas it has scientifically proven that through drip irrigation one can get more agricultural output.
Replying to a question regarding the UP government waiving off farmers’ loan but Uttarakhand government not doing so, the Union Miniter said that during UP election, the Bharatiya Janata Party had promised and as per the provision farmers get loan at 9 per cent comprising five per cent borne by the state and four per cent borne by the farmers. Now UP Government has decided to bear the entire nine per cent interest rate upto Rs one lakh as per their promise.
As far as the financial health of sugar mills is concerned then five sugar mills including the ones in Doiwala and Kichchha are being run by cooperative federation and three -- Sitarganj, Nadehi and Bazpur are being run by cooperative. All five mills have arrears of about Rs 700 crore in total so the government has decided to help them. Now the ministry would help them in strengthening of power back up through National Cooperative Development Council (NCDC).
As far as seed corporation is concerned then state government has been instructed to send its demand at least one or two years ahead so that breeders would produce more certified seeds and so that the same can be supplied on time otherwise farmers will have to make purchase from the open market.
As per the NFDS, farmers would be given permission to grow 20 varieties of tree and can cut the same without any legal entangle. Once it gets implemented in the state then farmers would earn more cash and it would help environment as well.
As far as agriculture science centre (ASC) is concern then the government has made a provision that in districts located at more than 5000 feet altitude, the government would open additional ASC and Uttarakhand got two out of four. Of these, the Government has unveiled foundation stone in Chamoli district and now the foundation stone would be laid for the same in Pithoragarh after the State Government allocate land for this.