FOR ‘DIVERSIFICATION OF AGRICULTURE IN GREEN REVOLUTION AREAS’
• LAUDS PUNJAB FARMERS FOR THEIR IMMENSE CONTRIBUTION IN MAKING
COUNTRY SELF-RELIANT IN FOOD PRODUCTION
• PLAN TO SHIFT 12 LAKH HECTARES FROM PADDY TO ALTERNATE CROPS
• TREAT LIVESTOCK AT PAR WITH AGRICULTURE FOR INCOME TAX AND OTHER BENEFITS
• UNION AGRICULTURE SECRETARY COMMENDS STATE INITIATIVES FOR AMENDING
APMC ACT AND ENACTING A LEGISLATION FOR CONTRACT FARMING
• AMRITSAR TO BE INCLUDED FOR NVIUC
Chandigarh, October 6(Bharatsandesh news):Punjab Chief Minister Mr Parkash Singh Badal today asked the
Government of India (GoI) to ensure the economic security and
prosperity of Punjab farmers who played a pivotal role in securing
national food security at the cost of the natural resources in terms
of depleting soil fertility and declining water table.
Addressing a high level meeting with the officers of the Central team
led by Secretary Agriculture Mr Ashish Bahuguna, the Chief Minister
said that GoI should come forward to bail out its beleaguered
peasantry in this hour of crisis by incentivizing the promotion of the
cultivation of alternative crops to paddy and wheat adding that this
was not merely a problem of Punjab but must be viewed in a broad
perspective as ‘national problem’. Mr. Badal highly appreciated the
enomorous contribution of the state farmers in making our country
self-reliant in food grain production adding he said, “Now it is the
payback time for Centre government to help our farmers at this crucial
juncture in recognition with their superb performance in the National
Food Security”.
Expressing gratitude to the Union Agriculture Minister Mr. Sharad
Pawar for deputing a high level Central team for detailed
deliberations to chalk out an action program on the crop
diversification with the state officers, the Chief Minister requested
him to immediately constitute a high level joint committee comprising
senior officers of the Central and state government for preparing a
roadmap for diversification of Agriculture in the state.
Mr. Badal emphasized the need to immediately launch a technology
mission for ‘Diversification of Agriculture in Green Revolution Areas’
with an allocation of Rs 5000 crore for 12th Five Year Plan period, on
the pattern of the mission for ‘Bringing Green Revolution to the
Eastern India’ (BGREI). Mr. Badal underscored the need for
diversification away from the production of food crops mainly Rice,
which was utmost necessary to sustainably manage the natural resource
base and to adjust to the changes taking place in the domestic demand
and supply of food grains.
It may be recalled that of late the eastern states like Chattisgarh,
Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Assam have made their presence
felt in the production of wheat and paddy, which had also compelled
the state to diversify to other alternatives due to Centre’s purported
move to review the present system of Open ended purchase of food
grains at MSP.
Outlining the diversification program, the Chief Minister apprised
the visiting team that the state government has planned to reduce the
area under paddy from 28 to 16 lakh hectares in a phased manner over a
period of six years. It is purposed to shift this area to Maize (four
lakh hectare), Cotton (two lakh hectare), Sugarcane (1.5 lakh
hectare), Fodder (1.5 lakh hectare), Agro Forestry (two lakh hectare),
Pulses and Fruits & Vegetable (one lakh hectare).
The Chief Minister impressed upon the Centre to provide remunerative
MSP coupled with assured marketing mechanism for the alternate crops
especially Maize as the Punjab Government was seriously contemplating
to enhance the present area under Maize cultivation from 1.5 to 5.5
lakh hectare. Mr Badal also asked the GoI to relook the policy of
blending of petrol with ethanol by increasing it from 5% to 15% to
promote conversion of Maize into ethanol. Mr. Badal also envisaged
special assistance from GoI for installation of maize dryers in
designated markets He also urged the Union Government to expedite the
shifting of Directorate of Maize Research from Delhi to Ladhowal
(Ludhiana) besides making the Borlaug Institute for South Asia
functional at the earliest so as to develop Ludhiana as a hub for
Maize breeding. Mr Badal also asked the Ministry of Food Processing to
incentivize the setting up of Maize processing industry in the state
to encourage its value addition and assured marketing support.
Urging the Central team to take immediate steps to boost the
procurement of the cotton in state thereby encouraging
diversification, the Chief Minister said that Cotton Corporation of
India (CCI) should be asked to carry-out timely price support
operations aggressively in all the 45 cotton markets across the state.
He also demanded that a Regional Centre of Indian Council of
Agriculture Research (ICAR) for research in Pulses and Soyabeen should
be established in the state to develop suitable varieties of these
crops for cultivation in the state. Likewise, Mr Badal also asked the
centre to expeditiously set up a Centre of Excellence for Citrus at
Abohar as the state government was planning to enhance the area under
Citrus Orchards. To encouarage Agro-forestry, the Chief Minister asked
for providing long term bank finance through NABARD (on soft loans or
concessional rates basis to farmers) besides incentivizing
establishments of hi-tech wood industry.
Reiterating that diversification to livestock sector was necessary to
supplement the income of the farmers, the Chief Minister posed a
program to be funded by the Central government for the promotion of
Dairy, piggery, Goatry and fisheries. Mr. Badal also urged the Centre
to declare Animal Husbandry Livestock activities like dairy, piggery,
poultry, goatry and fishery etc. at par with the Agriculture so that
the benefits like exemption of Income tax, interest rates etc.
available to agriculture can also be extended to these activities. He
also pointed out that the facilities of Kisan Credit Cards, presently
available shoud be extended to dairy, piggery, pultry and fishery. He
also demanded to provide subsidized insurance cover to livestock
irrespective of the size of the herd besides establishment of
Livestock quarantine station at Amritsar.
Responding to the issues raised by the Chief Minister on the state
diversification plan, Mr. Bahuguna appreciated the concerted efforts
of the state government to implement the ambitious diversification
plan to shift an area of 12 lakh hectares from paddy to other crops.
He assured all possible assistance and co-operation on behalf of the
GoI to make this mission a huge success. Mr. Bahuguna also lauded the
initiative of the state government to amend Agricultural Produce
Market Committees (APMC) Act 1961 and to enact a new legislation on
Contract Farming, which would be instrumental in providing forward
linkages to the farmers to markets and industries. Mr Bahuguna
announced to cover Amritsar for development of peri-urban cultivation
of vegetables under National Vegetable Initiative for Urban Clusters
(NVIUC). The Union Agriculture Secretary also assured to include
Goatry and Piggery for assistance under the National Mission for
Protein Supplement. He also apprised the Chief Minister that he would
soon take up the matter with his counterpart in Ministry of Textiles
for opening more textile parks in Punjab to give an impetus to the
processing of raw cotton in the state.
The prominent members of the Central Team included Joint Secretary
Crops Mr Mukesh Khullar, Joint Secretary Food Processing Industries Mr
JP Meena, Joint Secretary National Horticulture Mission Mr Sanjeev
Chopra, Commissioner Animal Husbandry Mr AS Nanda, MD Nafed Mr Rajeev
Gupta and Director National Centre for Agriculture Research and Policy
Dr Ramesh Chander.
The state was represented by Cabinet Minister Mr Sarwan Singh
Phillaur, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Mr Gubachan Singh Babbehali,
Chairman Punjab Farmer’s Commission Dr GS Kalkat, Financial
Commissioner Development Mr GS Sandhu, Financial Commissioner Animal
Husbandry Jagpal Singh Sandhu, Secretary Food Processing Mr DS Grewal,
Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr Gaggandip Singh Brar,
Vice Chancellor GADVASU Dr VK Taneja, Advisor Agriculture and MD
Milkfed Dr Balwinder Singh Sidhu, MD Punjab Agro Mr KDS Bhullar,
Secretary Mandi Board Mr MS Kainth and Director Agriculture Dr Mangal
Singh Sandhu.
No.CMO-12/320
