Organic farming to cover 1 lakh acres in 3 yrs

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 28

CM Manohar Lal Khattar, who is also the Finance Minister, has proposed an outlay of Rs 6,481 crore for the agriculture sector with a rise of 23.92 per cent from the Budget estimates of 2019-20.

The allocation has focus on sustainable farming and interest-free loan facility and provides facilities for women farmers.

For 2020-21, Rs 3,364 crore has been allocated for agriculture, Rs 1,157 crore for animal husbandry, Rs 492 crore for horticulture and Rs 122 crore for fisheries.

The Budget proposes to expand organic and natural farming to 1 lakh acres in the next three years. In all the major mandis of Haryana, crop dryers will be installed so that farmers do not face any problem in drying crop products and can get full price for those.

As much as 10 per cent seats will be reserved for women farmers in all vegetable mandis of Haryana. Also, a special women cell will be set up in the Kisan Kalyan Pradhikaran.

To check theft, CCTV cameras will be installed in all the warehouses of the Haryana State Warehousing Corporation, HAFED, Food and Supplies Department with 52 warehouses to be covered in 2020-21.

SUBHEAD

Interest-free loans

At present, interest-free loan facility is available only on loans taken from cooperative institutions and the limit is Rs 1.5 lakh.

Now, interest-free loans will also be available to those farmers who take a crop loan of Rs 60,000 up to a maximum of Rs 3 lakh per acre from any nationalised or cooperative bank on three conditions. The farmer has to repay the loan within the stipulated time; he has to declare the details of all the cooperative loans on “Meri Fasal, Mera Byora" portal; and the payment of the purchased crop will be deposited by the purchase agency in the account of the bank from which the loan has been taken.

To check stubble-burning, parali procurement centres will be set up in every block of all affected districts.

The state has a target of doubling the current area under horticulture from 8.17 per cent to 15 per cent and to triple the horticultural production by year 2030.

SUBHEAD

Rs 50 cr to Gau Sewa Aayog

The Budget has increased allocation to Gau Sewa Aayog from Rs 30 crore to Rs 50 crore with focus on rehabilitation of stray cattle. At present, there are 1.27 lakh stray cattle in the state, according to the 20th Livestock Census.

The amount will be provided to cowsheds which will keep a minimum of the destitute cattle out of the total number of livestock.

Now, besides the Animal Husbandry Department, the Urban Local Bodies and Development and Panchayat Department will identify destitute and injured animals and rehabilitate them in cowsheds.

Mobile veterinary units will also be started to make animal health services available through the 'Animal Sanjivani Sewa' at the doorstep.

Rs 50 crore to Gau Sewa Aayog

• The Budget has increased allocation to Gau Sewa Aayog from Rs30 crore to Rs50 crore with focus on rehabilitation of stray cattle
• At present, there are 1.27 lakh stray cattle in the state, according to the 20th Livestock Census
• The amount will be provided to cowsheds which will keep a minimum of the destitute cattle out of the total number of livestock
• Mobile veterinary units will be started to make animal health services available through ‘Animal Sanjivani Sewa’

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