Pushkar Singh Dhami: With the aim of securing the future of agriculture and farmers amid the challenges of climate change, a grand state level “Khet Bachao Abhiyan” program was organized in Hawalbagh.
In view of the effects of climate change, special emphasis was laid on agricultural conservation, maintaining soil fertility and making farmers aware of future challenges. A call was made to conserve and increase production of coarse grains, especially Mandua, Jhangora, Amaranth and other traditional crops.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who came as the chief guest at the program, said in his address that he gets new energy by coming among the farmers on the land of Almora. He said that “Khet Bachao Abhiyan” has now become not just a government program but a mass movement involving public participation. He called upon the farmers to take a pledge to conserve their agricultural land, soil and natural resources.
The Chief Minister said that farmers are not only food providers but also the strength and courage of the country. In our culture, soil is not just a piece of land but is revered like a mother. Therefore it is necessary to maintain the fertility of the soil and keep the fields as free from chemical substances as possible. He said it is the responsibility of all of us to leave a healthy and safe agricultural system for future generations. Said that to increase the income of farmers, a provision of Rs 200 crore has also been made in the budget.
The Chief Minister called upon the farmers to get their soil tested regularly, use water judiciously and do farming as per the advice of agricultural experts and scientific research. He said that crops should be selected according to the changing weather and climatic conditions.
He said that both environmental protection and economic prosperity complement each other and it is necessary to maintain a balance between ecology and economy. Referring to the Prime Minister’s “Mann Ki Baat” program, the Chief Minister said that there is a need to move forward by taking inspiration from the people who have done excellent work in the field of water, forest, land and nature conservation.
The Chief Minister said that the state government is continuously working for the prosperity of the farmers. Many schemes are being run for the horticulture sector with the aim of increasing the income of farmers. Many schemes have been implemented to promote production of polyhouses, fruit production, cold storage, mega food parks and aromatic crops. At present, production of aromatic crops is being encouraged in about 23 thousand hectare area in the state. Coarse grains are also being specially promoted. He said that the benefits of the schemes are being given to the farmers directly through DBT, due to which the role of middlemen has been eliminated.
The Chief Minister said that Uttarakhand being ranked first in the country in terms of increase in the income of farmers is a living example of the success of the government’s policies.
The Chief Minister said that the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not just make promises to the farmers, but believes in working on the ground. He called upon the farmers to get their farming and soil tested and pledge to adopt sustainable farming practices.
During this, the Chief Minister also announced that work will be done under Tarbar Scheme in Almora district at a cost of about Rs 6 crore.
On this occasion, Agriculture Minister Ganesh Joshi said that farmers should work towards increasing production by adopting natural and organic farming. He said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the state government is doing remarkable work in the fields of education, employment and health and till now more than 30 thousand youth have been provided employment in government departments. He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, effective policies have been made to promote crops like dragon fruit, kiwi and millet in the interest of farmers. Despite the decrease in the area under cultivation, there has been an unprecedented increase in agricultural products. He said that building a self-reliant Uttarakhand is possible only by saving the fields.
District Magistrate Anshul Singh said that the district administration is sensitive to the implementation of government policies and schemes. He said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the residents of the district are being provided the benefits of the schemes.
A large number of farmers, women’s groups, public representatives and officials participated in the program and pledged to promote agricultural conservation, soil enrichment and climate-friendly farming. Farmers who did excellent work were also honored in the program.
A large number of public representatives, officers and farmers including MLA Ranikhet Dr. Pramod Nainwal, MLA Jageshwar Mohan Singh Mehra, MLA Salt Mahesh Jeena, District Panchayat President Hema Gaida, officials Ganga Bisht, Govind Pilkhwal, Mayor Almora Ajay Verma, Agriculture Secretary Surendra Narayan Pandey, Director Agriculture, District Magistrate Anshul Singh, Chief Development Officer Ramji Sharan Sharma were present in the program.