Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Sep 29: Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday handed over financial sanction letters worth more than Rs 1,200 crore to agriculture ministers of 10 states under the Prime Minister Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY).
The allocations included Rs 290 crore for West Bengal, Rs 198 crore for Haryana, Rs 181 crore for Chhattisgarh, Rs 154 crore for Arunachal Pradesh, Rs 114 crore for Bihar, Rs 104 crore for Karnataka, Rs 75 crore for Mizoram, Rs 64 crore for Himachal Pradesh, Rs 58 crore for Jharkhand and Rs 43 crore for Punjab.
Chairing a meeting attended by agriculture ministers and senior officials from various states, Chouhan said the Union government was not limiting itself to policy formulation but was also ensuring timely availability of resources to states so that implementation of schemes could begin on the ground without delay.
Highlighting the country's agricultural performance, Chouhan said the agriculture growth rate had increased from 3 per cent in 2015 to 4.5 per cent. He said the average annual increase in foodgrain production had also more than doubled, from around 40 lakh tonnes earlier to 84 lakh tonnes a year.
He further said rabi foodgrain production had registered an unprecedented increase of 205 lakh tonnes in the two years from 2023-24 to 2025-26.
Announcing a new mechanism to further strengthen cooperative federalism, Chouhan said regular monthly virtual review meetings with states would now be held on the lines of weekly reviews conducted at the Centre.
At the state level, a State Agriculture Team would be constituted by bringing together the agriculture minister, agriculture secretary, state agricultural universities, ICAR institutions, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs).
Monthly meetings would also be held at the district level, he said.
Emphasising the need to protect soil health and the environment, Chouhan called for a nationwide 'Khet Bachao Abhiyan' from October 22 to November 30 this year.
Scientists and other key stakeholders would participate in the campaign, which would use Soil Health Cards to promote balanced fertiliser use and protect soil fertility and beneficial insects, he said.
Chouhan also called for large-scale promotion of pulse cultivation in rice fallow areas of eastern India, particularly Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha and West Bengal, after the paddy harvest.
As part of preparations for the current rabi season, he stressed that recommendations on crops and improved seeds should be based on soil moisture and water availability.
Stating that the availability of seeds and fertilisers in the country was adequate, Chouhan directed states to take strict legal action against fake fertilisers, spurious seeds and sub-standard pesticides.
He said the government was pursuing a multi-dimensional strategy to ensure farmers received fair and remunerative prices for their produce, including strengthening post-harvest management, scientific warehousing and marketing systems.
Chouhan said 100 per cent assured government procurement of tur, urad and masoor at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) would be undertaken, with arrangements for payment within 48 hours.
In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision, he said India would also leverage new market opportunities emerging from international Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) to connect Indian agricultural products, fruits, vegetables and foodgrains with global markets.
This, he said, would help farmers secure better returns for their produce and enable India to emerge as a major 'food basket' for the world.
This version keeps the figures, state-wise allocations, proposed review mechanism and agricultural measures intact while tightening the news flow.