Farmers at centre stage at BJP’s Chintan Shivir

On the second day of the 9th Chintan Shivir main topic of discussion was agriculture in lines with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to double farmers’ income by 2022 at the sprawling campus of Vadodara based Gujarat State Fertilizer Corporation (GSFC).

Agriculture Minister RC Faldu led the discussion on ‘Possibilities in Agricultural Sector’ around the eight major issues covered in the model Gujarat Khetiwadi Adhiniyam-2007, incorporated in the budget proposals for agriculture and animal husbandry. He said that most of the genuine problems of the farmers could be solved by the district level officers, well within the framework of rules and regulations. He insisted officials in the agriculture department to work as guides of the farmers.

Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set the deadline of doubling the farmers’ income by 2022 for which many innovative schemes have to be taken up. Lands shown as grasslands for grazing in revenue records could not be used for any other purpose, but has been used for growing fodder with good result.

He called for the need to adopt scientific methods to increase milk yield per cattle and farm yield per acre. He said the SSP dam on the Narmada is complete, while work on canal network is on. He suggested extension services to reach out to the farmers with stress on micro irrigation and drip irrigation.

Chief Secretary Dr JN Singh suggested early steps to firm up marketing of farm produces and milk to ensure farmers and cattle owners get remunerative prices. Horticulture is another way to augment farmers’ income. There is need to create awareness among farmers for increasing the scope of contract farming, maintaining quality to fetch better prices.

Additional Chief Secretary for Agriculture Sanjay Prasad in his presentation said that about 96 lakh hectares of land is under agriculture in Gujarat and the State Government’s efforts resulted in 46 per cent increase in agricultural production during the last 15 years.

Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) Managing Director RM Sodhi, invited as an expert, said that past efforts have resulted in increasing milk production.

He said that animal husbandry has to be treated at par with agriculture, motivating new generation take up animal husbandry, marketing and rationalising export-import policy of agriculture produces to achieve doubling farmers’ income.