Centre launches farmers’ awareness programme to boost yield in upcoming Kharif season

Centre launches farmers’ awareness programme to boost yield in upcoming Kharif season

The Indian government has launched a farmers’ awareness campaign—Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan—to further increase the yield of crops in the upcoming Kharif season in the country, said Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union minister of agriculture and farmers’ welfare on May 19.

Addressing a press conference, Chouhan told reporters that the campaign would be conducted nationwide for 15 days from May 29 to June 12 covering 723 districts. India’s Kharif season, also known as monsoon season, runs from June to October.

Under the awareness campaign, the government aims to educate farmers on critical information related to agriculture, allied sectors, and government schemes ahead of the Kharif season.

Chouhan said the agriculture ministry in association with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has formed a total of 2,331 teams, comprising 4 to 5 members of scientists, specialists and government officials who would connect directly with farmers at the grassroot level. The government expects 1.3 crore farmers to be benefitted by the campaign.

Chouhan would also hold a detailed interaction with agriculture ministers of various states on May 19 to discuss the details of the campaign.

Campaign’s objectives

The government targets to spread awareness on multiple levels under Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan. The farmers would be educated about the major crops suitable for the Kharif season in their specific agro-climatic regions and the improved agronomic practices they can adopt to increase yield.

The government aims to spread awareness about various schemes and policies that offer financial assistance, insurance, subsidies, and support services to farmers. The campaign would also focus on educating farmers on the effective use of Soil Health Cards, helping them interpret the data and make informed decisions on crop selection and fertilizer application.

The government said that the farmers will receive information about improved seed varieties, crop-specific management practices, integrated pest management, and techniques to enhance productivity and profitability.

“Farmers will be encouraged to adopt natural farming practices that are sustainable and cost-effective. The campaign will also include demonstrations and video-based awareness programs on the use of drone technology in agriculture, as well as the application of Nano fertilizers like Nano urea and Nano DAP,” the government said.

The farmers would also be encouraged to diversify and enhance their income sources.

Additionally, the initiative collect feedback from interactions with farmers to guide future agricultural research and policy formulation.

Chouhan further clarified that no separate funding has been allocated for the campaign as the current assets with the government would be utilised. The government would run a similar programme in the rabi season as well which begins in November and ends in April in India.