Agriculture Department has started preparation for upcoming kharif season. Agriculture Department has also launched special campaign to motivate farmers to promote farming of pulses, oilseeds, corn and sugarcane. The department has set the target to increase farming area of pulses by 28% and that of oilseeds by 33%. This information was given in the recently held review meeting of Agriculture Department chaired by Chief Minister at his residence office. The meeting was attended by Agriculture Minister Mr. Ravindra Choubey, Chief Secretary Mr. RP Mandal, Additional Chief Secretary of Chief Minister Mr. Subrat Sahu, Agricultural Production Commissioner Mrs. Maninder Kaur Dwivedi and other senior officials.
In his address to the meeting, Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel reviewed in detail the preparations of Agriculture Department for upcoming kharif season. He said that farmers should be encouraged to do farming of profitable crops. He directed the officials to ensure proper availability of seeds of various crops and chemical fertilizers in societies. Chief Minister directed the officials to ensure that there is no shortage of fertilizers-seeds in kharif season and also gave instructions to do regular monitoring of the same.
In the meeting Agriculture Minister Mr. Ravindra Choubey informed that this year, target has been set to reduce the area of paddy cultivation by 5% and to encourage as well as guide the farmers to do farming of more profitable crops such as pulses and oilseeds. He informed that in the upcoming kharif season, target of sowing paddy in 37 hectares area has been set, which is one lakh 76 thousand hectare less than previous year. Likewise, the department has set the target to increase the cultivation area of corn from 2 lakh 5 thousand hectares to 2 lakh 38 thousand hectares and that of other food crops from 7 thousand hectares to 90 thousand hectares. Target to increase the area of arhar by 34 hectares, urad by 25 thousand hectares, and other pulses by 21 thousand hectares is set. He told that increase in area of oilseed crops by 25 thousand hectares is proposed.
Agriculture Production Commissioner Mrs. Maninder Kaur Dwivedik informed under Prime Minister Crop Insurance Scheme, insurance claims worth Rs 634 crore 13 lakh 13 thousand have been paid to 4 lakh 55 thousand 795 farmers of the state. He informed that this year, due to hailstorm and unfavourable weather during Rabi season, rabi crops have gone damaged. Against the insurance of Rabi crops, payment of nearly 350 crores is likely to be done to the farmers as insurance claims. Farmers affected under RBC 6-4 will be given additional financial aid. He informed that under Pradhan Mantri kisaan Samman Nidhi, nearly Rs 1408 crores have been transferred to the accounts of farmers till date. Under this scheme, 27 lakh farmers of the state were registered. Nearly 22.47 lakh farmers of the state have been issued kisaan credit cards.
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