The farmers of Chhattisgarh are free to purchase quality agriculture equipment from registered suppliers of Chhattisgarh State Seed and Agriculture Development Corporation or private companies, officials informed.
The Agriculture Department will provide subsidy as provisioned, they informed.
Officials of Directorate of Agriculture informed that prior to year 2008, farmers were eligible to get subsidy only when they purchase agricultural equipment from Chhattisgarh State Seed and Agriculture Development Corporation.
In the larger interests of farmers, the State Government has eliminated that compulsion of buying the equipment from Chhattisgarh State Seed and Agriculture Development Corporation.
In addition, authorized and registered suppliers of private companies have been directed to provide farmers with the facility to purchase agricultural equipment from them.
Officials informed that under the scheme, a total of 2250 electric equipment have been provided under Centre funded electrification sub mission scheme, whereas distribution of 1765 equipment is the target for this year. likewise, against the target of distributing 500 manual equipments, 7597 equipment have been distributed on subsidy. In year 2016-17, 2467 electric equipments and 11747 manual equipment have been distributed on subsidy.
A new system based on Gujarat pattern has been implemented for distribution of agricultural equipment on subsidy under various schemes of Chhattisagrh Government's Agriculture and Horticulture Department, officials informed.
Under the new system, valid registered/contractual manufacturers will have to go for registration again at Directorate of Agriculture or Chhattisgarh State Agriculture and Seed Development Corporation for distribution of agriculture devices and equipment.It is noteworthy that Chhattisgarh State Agriculture and Seed Development Corporation and Gujarat Green Revolution Company signed MoU on June 22 last year, in presence of Agriculture Minister Brijmohan Agrawal for implementation of Gujarat Pattern system for distribution of agricultural equipment to farmers of Chhattisgarh. Now farmers will also be able to order equipments such as drip, sprinkler, irrigation pump, combine harvester, tractor, power tiller, automatic and manual agricultural devices online, as per their convenience.