Rabi crops output to increase despite drought: Minister

India will register a higher rabi crop output this year despite drought in large parts of the country, Union Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh said on Monday.

“We have received a second survey report, on the basis of which it has been projected that the rabi crops output will be higher this year than last year despite drought and related problems, he said at the 16th foundation day celebrations of the ICAR, eastern region, here.

Agriculture scientists had developed 93 varieties of high yield drought-resistant crops which were distributed among farmers for cultivation during the current rabi season, he added.

The minister said that the NDA government had taken up a project to improve soil fertility and irrigation facilities in order to increase cultivation.

For the purpose, the Centre has launched two schemes - the Pradhan Mantri Sichai Yojana (PMSY) and soil health card, he added.

The states have already sent 80 lakh samples of soil for test at different laboratories and one lakh farmers have been given soil health card against a target of 14 crore farmers identified for the purpose by March 2017, Singh said.

He, however, rued the fact that Bihar was a laggard in both these aspects.

While the states like Andhra Pradesh have sent excess soil samples, Bihar has lagged behind in drive to renew soil, he pointed out.

Observing that the Bihar government appeared to be pursuing an agenda different from the Centre’s national agenda for soil renewal, Mr. Singh pleaded with the state government to showcase sincerely in implementation of the soil health card project as the land belongs to the country and not to an individual.

The Centre under the PMSY has set apart a corpus of Rs 50,000 crore for irrigation facilities for all farmland in the country under the theme ‘per drop, more crop’, he said, and urged the state governments to avail funds by sending proposals finalized by the district and State-level selection committees for irrigation requirements for farmland under its jurisdiction. 

Source : The HIndu