The State Government has given away ‘Excellent Farmer’ awards to as many as 173 farmers for achieving great success by adopting advanced methods in agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries and horticulture sectors.
In the State-level ‘Kisan Sammelan’ (Farmers’ Convention) organised at the Government Agriculture College here, Agriculture Minister Brijmohan Agrawal awarded the farmers under the ‘Atma’ scheme of the Agriculture department. Addressing the function, Agrawal said that “our farmers are the real scientists of the country and the world.” Of the awarded farmers, 76 have made their mark in agriculture, 33 in horticulture, 34 in animal husbandry and 30 in fisheries.
A total of 163 farmers received district level awards and 10 state-level awards. Those district-level award winners were given away Rs 25,000 and the State-level award winners Rs 50,000 as prize money. On the occasion, the Minister declared to award 150 such officers and employees of the Agriculture department every year, in whose areas commendable works would be done for agriculture development.
Addressing the function, Agrawal said that the Chhattisgarh Government led by Chief Minister Raman Singh was really the Government of hard-working farmers and villagers. In order to make farm-based rural economy better, the State government has made many important provisions like agriculture budget, agriculture loan at zero per cent interest and bonus on paddy procurement, he added.
Agrawal said that officials and employees give suggestions and advice to the farmers for Agriculture development and for adopting method of cultivation in accordance to the circumstances, but the farmers, with their hard work, devotion and understanding transform the suggestions and measures into the fields. For the development of the country and the state, development of farmers was necessary, he added.
Giving emphasis on bio-farming for saving the field from turning into toxic and barren, the Minister said that the State government has been preparing a proper action plan for it. Vice-Chancellor of Indira Gandhi Agriculture University Dr SK Patil said that the farmers use new methods in their works first and then the farm scientists do research on these methods and give better direction to it.
Vice-Chancellor of Kamdhenu University Dr UK Mishra stressed on making animal husbandry as additional source of income of farmers. The Agriculture minister on the occasion released a book related to ‘Atma’ scheme ‘Yojana Darshika 2014’. Director, Agriculture, and other senior officers were present in the function.