In the wake of ample opportunities available for the farmers in the State, agro experts, farmers and people’s representatives during a day-long programme at the Fishery Training Institute, Dhurwa brainstormed on different measures on ‘How to increase farmers income’ on Saturday. The programme was organised under the aegis of Centre for Socio-Economic and Parliamentary Study, Ranchi considering the Prime Minister’s vision of making farmers self-sufficient by the year 2022.
From focusing on promotion of allied agricultural practices, making the State self-sufficient in vegetable seed production, proper irrigation setup to careful analysis of soil health card, pivotal issues were discussed with the participants to bring change in agricultural practices while uplifting the lives of the rural folks associated with the agro business.
Addressing the gathering Rajya Sabha MP, Mahesh Poddar, said, “As people’s representatives we need to focus on linking village dwellers with allied agricultural practices along with the conventional agriculture practice that can eventually aid in augmenting the farmers income.”
The chain from production to consumption including distribution should be such that the village produce is consumed within that specific rural community only said the Rajya Sabha MP. Also, Poddar while addressing the participants said that the irrigation facilities at quite a number of places is in a shambles and need immediate attention.
Echoing similar ideas, MlA Radha Krishna Kishore referring to the statistics said that around 74 per cent people in Jharkhand are dependent on agriculture activities for livelihood, “At present, we are just spending 12 per cent of the total allocated budget on boosting irrigation system. The allied agro business that includes fishery production, milk production, egg production among few prominent profitable allied agro businesses need to be expanded,” Kishore said.
“Presently, the State requires production of 28 lakh metric tones milk per day and the production here is just 18 lakh Metric Tonne. Similarly, 1.40 lakh MT of fish in State is required as against the production of about one lakh MT. We require 60 lakh metric tones of food grains per annum. But, in Jharkhand only 45 lakh MT is produced now,” Kishore further added.
Chief Whip of ruling party in Jharkhand Assembly, Kishore also suggested that fiscal support from commercial banks need to be strengthened for easy availability of credit. In addition, he suggested careful analysis of soil health card scheme launched by central government in 2015.
The meet was attended by Gumla MlA Shiv Shankar Oraon, scientists like Shivendra Kumar, former director of Horticulture Centre, Plandu, D.K. Singh Drone, former professor of Birsa Agriculture University, B.S. Khanna, director, Medha Dairy, Dhirendra Kumar, former director of Jharcraft, Ayodhya Nath Mishra, secretary of the Samajik Arthik evam Sansadiya Adhyayan Kendra, and farmers from places like Pithoria, Namkum, Ratu and Bero.
Treasurer of the organization OP lal delivered the Vote of Thanks.