Gandhinagar, 6 December (IANS). Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurated the Rabi Agricultural Festival-2024 at Sardar Krishi Nagar in Dantiwada in Banaskantha district of Gujarat. He said that the state government always stands with the farmers.
The two-day Rabi Agriculture Festival-2024 is being organized on 6 and 7 December in more than 246 tehsils of the state. In Dantiwada, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel honored 12 progressive farmers with the Sardar Patel Agricultural Research Award for the research done in the agricultural sector with unique intelligence. The Chief Minister and Agriculture Minister released an information booklet giving information about the latest technology in the agriculture sector.
In the program, MLA Aniket Thakor, Swaroopji Thakor, Keshaji Chauhan, Mavjibhai Desai, former Union Minister Haribhai Chaudhary, former MP, former Minister and district officials and officials, besides Vice Chancellor of Sardar Agricultural University R.M. Chauhan, Gujarat Natural Agriculture University Vice Chancellor K.C. A large number of farmers including Timbadiya, Secretary of Animal Husbandry and Cooperative Department, Sandeep Kumar were present.
After the ceremony, the Chief Minister said that if there is will power for the development of farmers and agriculture sector, then big changes can be brought. Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gujarat has proved this by providing uninterrupted electricity through Jyotigram scheme and adequate water for irrigation to farmers through irrigation management. The goal of making Gujarat a leading state in the agricultural revolution of the country has been realized with the success of the Krishi Mahotsav, which was started with the inspiration of the Prime Minister. In such agricultural festivals, agricultural scientists themselves come and give detailed understanding and guidance to the farmers about agriculture and tell them which crops a farmer can grow in his field and how value addition can be done in agriculture.
He said that the state government continuously helps the farmers for the damage caused to their crops during natural calamities like unseasonal rains and cyclones through generous agricultural relief package. Recently, out of the package of Rs 1,419 crore given by the state government to the farmers to compensate for the damage caused to the crops due to unseasonal rains and cyclone disaster, an amount of about Rs 1,200 crore has been paid. Agricultural festivals have become a guide for modern farming based on technology. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also appealed for natural farming with thinking ahead of time.
After this, he gave inspiring suggestions to the farmers and said that they should increase the scope of natural farming starting from one or two acres and adopt cow-based natural farming in maximum numbers to prevent the health of both land and humans from deteriorating.
He said, “As a result of the natural farming campaign launched by Governor Acharya Devvrat, so far about 9.85 lakh farmers of the state have adopted natural farming. Regarding the demand of the farmers for supply of electricity during the day, the state government is responding in a planned manner. It is progressing. In the next six to eight months, electricity will be provided to the farmers of the entire state during the day.”
Gujarat Agriculture Minister Raghavji Patel said that the government has taken many decisions in the interest of farmers. Many schemes are implemented and guidance is also given through agricultural fairs along with financial assistance. The government has encouraged natural farming including new research by agricultural experts, new seeds, higher yield in farming and low-cost farming. To ensure that farmers get fair price for their crops, the government announces support price and provides more than 50 percent of the cost. Recently support prices have been announced for the purchase of groundnut, moong, urad and soybean. By opening 160 procurement centers for the purchase of groundnuts, purchasing at support price has been started. The government provides assistance on all agricultural equipment in the interest of farmers.”
He said that assistance worth Rs 11 thousand crore has been given in the last eight years only under crop loss. The government has always been concerned about the farmers for zero budget farming. He said that the government has opened many dimensions to convert farmers towards natural farming by establishing Natural Agriculture University and Board to accelerate the campaign of natural farming.
–IANS
PSM/AKJ
