It has been recently divulged by Shri Radha Mohan Singh, Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, at a public meeting in Kandarpur (Cuttack), Odisha that the initiatives that were taken up by the Central Government Govt. to improve the status of the farmers is showing positive results. The results show that numerous people have been saved from starvation due to the use of sophisticated agricultural techniques. Agriculture scientists have toiled hard to develop these techniques with the sole purpose to improve the condition of the farming and farmers, both. He further added that the industrious NRRI scientists have developed one of its kind variety of Paddy i.e. CR Paddy 310 that contains 11% of protein as compared to a meager 6-7% protein in other rice species.
Mr Mohan also stated that NRRI is researching on Double Haploid and they are in the process of developing a technique that will transfer the properties of hybrid rice to the other species. Its main motive is to make the rice farming beneficial as well as long lasting.
Major farmer welfare schemes that have shown positive results are as follows:
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana: The main aim behind launching this scheme is to provide relief to the farmers who face drought due to poor rainfall. In this scheme, water is provided to each and every farm and the skill of water conservation is was taught to all. The government has laid special emphasis on the improvement of water conservation on the field as well as precision irrigation. Apart from this emphasis is laid on to use the wastewater of Municipal Corporation through process irrigation that are promoted through private investment.
Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yoaja: This initiative was started by NDA government in 2015 with a motive to promote bio-farming. Under this scheme, every farmer is provided with Rs 20,000 per acre for three years and the farmers have to utilize this amount to purchase bio-seeds and transporting of agricultural products to the local market.
Soil Health Card Scheme: Under this initiative, the farmers are given a card that helps them to know the new trend in the soil. According to that, farmers can use the required quantity of fertilizers to increase the productivity as well as the fertility. The card also helps them know any soil problem and keep a track on soil quality.
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna: This initiative covers those farmers who need relief from the losses that are incurred due to crop damage. It aims to reduce the burden of the premium as well as sorting the cases expeditiously. Farmers are supposed to pay 2% and 1.5% for Kharif and Rabi respectively and the rest of the premium i.e. 90% would be deposited by the government. To detect the extent of crop damage, remote sensing, smart phone and drone use is mandatory.
National Agriculture Market (e-NAM): It is an electronic trading portal under which a unified national market for agricultural products is formed by making a network for the markets related to the existing Agricultural Product Marketing Committee (APMC). Its main aim is to save the producers from excess market duties and enable them to sell their products to the consumers at a fair price. The concept of Mandis and Bazar Committees that levy excessive duties on the products would become obsolete and there would be just one license that would be valid for the whole State and even the duty would be levied at just one point. Apart from this, being an electronic auction, the whole state can be converted into one market, thereby giving more options to the farmers to sell their products. With the increased chances of transparency the farmers would get a better result too.
India emergence campaign through village emergence: This initiative aims to strengthen Panchayati Raj thereby bringing social equality as well as accelerating rural development by improving the means of livelihood.
My Village My Pride: Through this scheme, every village is to be provided with new scientific technologies in farming. To make this initiative successful, experts from Agriculture University and ICAR Institutes have been invited and 20,000 agriculture scientists are engaged in adopting a village and raise awareness to adopt. Apart from this 78 scientists of NRRI have selected almost 92 families to inform them the benefits of sophisticated farming.
Achievements of National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack: The institute has been accorded the status of National Institute. It has developed 114 new rice species that despite climatic conditions, give excellent results. The institute has also developed a mobile app, ‘rice expert’, which provides information to the farmers about various crop damaging pests, paddy-related diseases, different varieties of rice, and various post- harvest activities.
On this occasion, Union Minister of State (I/C) for Petroleum & Natural Gas, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) – Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab Ji, Secretary to DARE and Director General (ICAR) – Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra, Director to NRRI – Dr. A.K. Nayak and a number of prominent scientists were also present.
