Ensure farmers get full benefit of govt schemes: Uttarakhand CM directs officials

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], September 4 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, while reviewing the Agriculture and Horticulture Department in the Secretariat on Tuesday, directed the officials to make effective efforts towards increasing the economy of farmers in the state more rapidly.

“It should be ensured that farmers as a package. Programs should be organised at the state and district level so that farmers get the full benefit of various schemes being run by the central and state governments in the interest of farmers,” Dhami said.

Dhami directed the officials in the meeting to expedite the construction of polyhouses, which would help increase the income of farmers and promote self-employment.

He said polyhouses should be constructed in the state according to the target set for each year.

Dhami added that farmers should benefit from the Agricultural Mechanisation Scheme, under which a subsidy of up to 80 per cent would be given on many agricultural equipment.

He also directed to connect farmers with the Farm Machinery Bank Scheme rapidly and that all the Gram Panchayats should be linked to the Farm Machinery Bank Scheme.

Dhami also stated that more effective efforts were needed to promote millet in the state and to promote millet production, an action plan would be made every year to increase productivity along with increasing the agricultural area.

“Special attention should be paid to the value addition of the products,” he added.

He also directed that work should be done rapidly under the Apple and Kiwi Mission in the state and along with the increase in the production of apples, special attention should also be paid to packaging and marketing.

“The increase in apple and Kiwi production will prove to be a game changer in increasing the economy of the farmers in the state. There are many possibilities in the field of aroma in the state. The aromatic sector can prove to be very effective in increasing the income of the farmers. Farmers should be motivated more and more for aromatic farming,” he said.

In the meeting, it was also informed that so far 28 women have been linked with the Namo Drone Didi Yojana to increase the economy of women, and this year 280 women will be linked with this scheme.

It was further mentioned that under the State Millet Mission Policy, currently, one thousand women’s groups have been formed and the target has been set to increase the number of these groups to three thousand by 2025.

It was also informed that, under the National Rural Livelihood Mission, five thousand women farmers are being provided organic farming training for self-employment and participation of women has also increased in the fields of tea production and aromatic agriculture and processing.

During the meeting, the annual calendar of agriculture and horticulture was also released, in which a target had been set for building 23342 polyhouses in the state by 2027. So far, 8500 polyhouses have been built.