Agri-centred schemes for long term benefit of farmers: Agri Min

Union Minister of Agriculture Radha Mohan Singh has said the agri-centered schemes are for the long term benefit of the farmers. Addressing the National conference on 'Sustainable Agriculture & Farmers Welfare' here yesterday, Singh said the farmers of the country will reap benefits from ambitious schemes like the Soil Health Card, Neem-Coated Urea Scheme, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana. Singh said while there had been loopholes in the schemes in past, it was only after several brainstorming sessions that they have been able to remove these lacunae and make the schemes more beneficial.

Talking about the need for discourse, Singh said such conference will provide a platform for fruitful discussions, deliberations and exchanging of ideas and take on suggestions to tackle the various challenges plaguing the agricultural sector, ensuring its sustainable growth and fulfilling our nutritional security needs. Describing it as proud privilege to be the first Organic Farming State in country, Chamling in his address talked about how his state went forward in banning of chemical fertilizers and encouragement of the use of natural products for boosting farming practices. He highlighted the awareness campaigns, training and capacity building programmes held to promote and enable organic methods and the establishment and strengthening of infrastructure like seed processing units and seed testing laboratories.

He spoke about the initiation and implementation of organic certification programmes, announcement of the State Government of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for selected vegetables to encourage organic crop production, the historic declaration by the State Legislative Assembly that Sikkim would be made an Organic Farming State. The deliberations will take place till tomorrow.