THE government has started hectic preparations for the state-wide month-long “Krushi Mahotsav - 2007” beginning April 20, during which the government plans to distribute about seven lakh agriculture input kits free of cost among small and marginal farmers, and also sensitise peasants on various measures so as to help them to improve and augment their yields.
The highlight of the annual Mahotsav will be to distribute village-level computerized soil health cards in all the 18,600 villages across the State. Earlier, the government had distributed 15 lakh soil health cards among individual farmers during such Mahotsav in the previous two years.
“We have almost completed the process of preparing village-level computerized soil health cards which will be distributed during this year’s month-long Krushi Mahotsav. The cards contain all relevant details including the nature and quality of soil of each of the villages, local climatic conditions and crop pattern”, State Agriculture Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasma told Express Newsline on Monday, after a day-long marathon meeting he had with senior officials of his department in Gandhinagar to discuss the preparations.
The minister said the main focus during this year’s Mahotsav would be: how to help farmers to get adequate remunerative prices for their produce and increased their income through effective mechanism being created by the government. “Merely, the increase in farm production will not better a farmer’s financial position. What we need is to facilitate them to market their produce with higher prices,” he said, adding that the emphasis this time will also be on integrated and comprehensive approach towards animal husbandry and fisheries, besides agriculture.
To encourage farmers to adopt micro irrigation system on a large-scale, Chudasma has roped in Gujarat Green Revolution Company (GGRC), a government agency.
“I have already had a series of meetings with the GGRC officials and representatives of at least 28 companies registered with it, which manufacture drip and sprinkler sets that are being sold to farmers under the government’s subsidy scheme. During the Mahotsav, teams of officials will fan out in villages and convince them to buy these sets and adopt micro irrigation in a big way”, says Chudasma. The minister said he would also have a meeting with senior officials of some nationalised banks and request them to clear the loan applications of farmers purchasing drip/sprinkler sets, at the earliest. During the month-long exercise, the department will also launch awareness programmes on organic farming, advising the farmers on minimum use of pesticides/ insecticides for health reasons.
Chudasma claimed that the Krushi Mahotsav in 2005 had helped increase the revenue by Rs 3,000 crore in the agriculture sector, and by Rs 3,800 crore in 2006.
He also attributed the rise in farm production from Rs 28,000 crore in 2005 to Rs 32,000 crore in 2006. During the Krushi Mahotsav last year, the government had distributed 3.80 lakh farm kits among small and marginal farmers across the State, containing inputs for agriculture, horticulture and animal husbandry.
Courtesy : Expressindia.com
The highlight of the annual Mahotsav will be to distribute village-level computerized soil health cards in all the 18,600 villages across the State. Earlier, the government had distributed 15 lakh soil health cards among individual farmers during such Mahotsav in the previous two years.
“We have almost completed the process of preparing village-level computerized soil health cards which will be distributed during this year’s month-long Krushi Mahotsav. The cards contain all relevant details including the nature and quality of soil of each of the villages, local climatic conditions and crop pattern”, State Agriculture Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasma told Express Newsline on Monday, after a day-long marathon meeting he had with senior officials of his department in Gandhinagar to discuss the preparations.
The minister said the main focus during this year’s Mahotsav would be: how to help farmers to get adequate remunerative prices for their produce and increased their income through effective mechanism being created by the government. “Merely, the increase in farm production will not better a farmer’s financial position. What we need is to facilitate them to market their produce with higher prices,” he said, adding that the emphasis this time will also be on integrated and comprehensive approach towards animal husbandry and fisheries, besides agriculture.
To encourage farmers to adopt micro irrigation system on a large-scale, Chudasma has roped in Gujarat Green Revolution Company (GGRC), a government agency.
“I have already had a series of meetings with the GGRC officials and representatives of at least 28 companies registered with it, which manufacture drip and sprinkler sets that are being sold to farmers under the government’s subsidy scheme. During the Mahotsav, teams of officials will fan out in villages and convince them to buy these sets and adopt micro irrigation in a big way”, says Chudasma. The minister said he would also have a meeting with senior officials of some nationalised banks and request them to clear the loan applications of farmers purchasing drip/sprinkler sets, at the earliest. During the month-long exercise, the department will also launch awareness programmes on organic farming, advising the farmers on minimum use of pesticides/ insecticides for health reasons.
Chudasma claimed that the Krushi Mahotsav in 2005 had helped increase the revenue by Rs 3,000 crore in the agriculture sector, and by Rs 3,800 crore in 2006.
He also attributed the rise in farm production from Rs 28,000 crore in 2005 to Rs 32,000 crore in 2006. During the Krushi Mahotsav last year, the government had distributed 3.80 lakh farm kits among small and marginal farmers across the State, containing inputs for agriculture, horticulture and animal husbandry.
Courtesy : Expressindia.com