Centre’s Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan to facilitate farmer-scientist interaction

Deepender Deswal Farming sector is dealing with various challenges. Farmers often complain that agriculture is becoming non-remunerative. To address the issue, the Centre launched a special awareness campaign —Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan — with an aim to transform the farming sector keeping in view the changing scenario. This campaign was launched by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini in Haryana on May 29. It would cover the entire state of Haryana. What is Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan? Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan is a public movement initiated to transform Indian agriculture by directly engaging with farmers, educating them about scientific farming methods and connecting them with relevant government schemes and technologies. In Haryana, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini launched the campaign from Kurukshetra on May 29 as part of the national initiative which would continue till June 14 in the state. Who will organise Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan? The campaign will be organised jointly by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), State Agriculture Departments, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs). Why campaign has been launched at this time? Officials of the Agriculture Department maintained that with the start of sowing for the Kharif season, this was the right time to impart knowledge and information related to sowing of crops, especially moong (green gram), guar (cluster bean), bajra (pearl millet), soybean and til (sesame) among others. They said, “Farmers are mainly resorting to paddy and bajra cultivation in Haryana. So the campaign also aims to motivate farmers to opt for crop diversification during the Kharif season.” What is the objective of the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan? Its main objective is to empower farmers by connecting them with new technologies, scientific knowledge and government schemes, thereby improving the agricultural sector across Haryana. n How does campaign aim to reach farmers at the grassroots level? Over 2,000 teams of agricultural scientists and officers have been formed to visit villages and directly interact with around 1.5 crore farmers nationwide. In Haryana, the campaign will cover 1,380 villages and 109 blocks, offering localised advice and gathering feedback for the future research. What key challenges in agriculture does the campaign aim to address in Haryana? The campaign aims to targets major challenges such as climate change, water scarcity, declining soil fertility and evolving market demands. It will also promote the use of digital tools and natural farming to build resilience and sustainability. What main initiatives for farmers’ welfare were highlighted by CM during launch of the campaign? The Chief Minister highlighted key initiatives that include Rs 2,000 per acre bonus for Kharif crops (totalling Rs 1,345 crore), waiving Rs 133 crore pending dues, abolishing the colonial-era abiyana system, giving compensation for land under power lines and granting land ownership to tenant farmers. What additional support schemes were mentioned by Agriculture Minister during its launch? Minister Shyam Singh Rana highlighted schemes like PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi (Rs 6,000 annually), Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (crop insurance), Mera Pani Meri Virasat Yojana (Rs 8,000 per acre for switching from paddy to other crops) and natural farming subsidies (Rs 30,000 per acre for indigenous keeping cows and to provide composting support).

Haryana Tribune