Agri minister tells farmers to adopt natural farming
Haryana Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shyam Singh Rana today said that the government has set a target to cover 1 lakh acres in the state under natural farming. He called upon the farmers to adopt natural farming.
The minister was addressing the gathering on the concluding day of three-day 7th Fruit Expo at Indo-Israel Centre of Excellence for Subtropical Fruits at Ladwa in Kurukshetra.
Agriculture Minister Shyam Singh Rana said, “The state government has set a goal to cultivate crops through natural farming on 1 lakh acres in Haryana. Currently, natural farming is being done on 10,000 acres and the area is increasing gradually. To facilitate the purchase of crops grown using natural farming, the state government has established a grain market in Gurugram. A laboratory has also been set up in the market to test the quality of the produce. Once the quality is assessed, a committee will determine the price and purchase the crop accordingly.”
“The consumption of good quality grains will prevent diseases and our health will remain good. Along with this, society, state and country will progress,” he added.
The minister also felicitated 10 progressive farmers from the horticulture sector with Rs 5,100 each, a trophy and a certificate of appreciation. He also visited the stalls set up by the Horticulture Department and got information about various varieties of mango.
He also said that by increasing the income of every section through new schemes, the country would become the third-largest economy in the world by 2027.
He informed that the Subtropical Fruit Centre at Ladwa was established in 2016 under the Indo-Israel project. Starting with 10,000 saplings, the centre now prepares 1 lakh saplings annually for distribution to farmers. Research is being carried out on six crops including mango, litchi, pear, peach and ‘chikoo’.
Shyam Singh Rana emphasised the need for farmers to diversify beyond wheat and paddy cultivation into horticulture, fisheries, beekeeping, dairy farming and other sectors.
He said that the state government has been formulating new schemes for the benefit of farmers. If any issues arise during implementation, the schemes are revised accordingly to ensure that the farmers are benefitted. He called farmers a crucial pillar of the nation and encouraged them to adopt modern and diversified farming practices.
The minister also highlighted various schemes of the government and said, “Under the Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana, if farmers get a price below the MSP in the market, the government compensates the difference to protect them from losses.”
Several officials from the Horticulture Department and BJP leaders were present on this occasion.
Haryana Tribune