Bhubaneswar: ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’, a nationwide campaign aimed at transforming Indian agriculture through scientific intervention, was launched at Sakshigopal in Odisha’s Puri district on Thursday.
The campaign was launched in the presence of Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Deputy Chief Minister and Agriculture Minister KV Singh Deo, local MLAs, and senior agricultural scientists.
Speaking on the occasion, Chouhan said the campaign seeks to help India become the “food basket of the world” by directly connecting agricultural scientists with farmers. The campaign aims to realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Lab to Land” and the concept of a developed India.
Notably, the campaign will run from May 29 to June 12, aiming to reach and directly engage with around 1.5 crore farmers nationwide.
Under the initiative, scientists from across the country will leave their laboratories to engage with farmers in over 700 districts, providing hands-on guidance and collecting feedback from the field.
The dignitaries launched the initiative by planting a tree under the “Ek Peed Maa Ke Naam” campaign.
Speaking at the event, Chief Minister Majhi said that the ‘Abhiyan’ is a groundbreaking initiative of the Centre to create awareness among farmers about modern technologies and new seed varieties. Through this campaign, the government will reach out to about 1.5 crore farmers in 700 districts of the country and make them aware of the application of new agricultural technologies.
Three teams will be formed at each district level and the scientists and departmental officers of the Krishi Vigyan Kendra will jointly explain the topics related to agriculture, horticulture and soil conservation to the rural farmers. Each team will visit two villages daily and meet 250 farmers in each village to explain the farmer welfare schemes of both the Central and state governments and discuss with the farmer brothers and sisters on various programs, initiatives and practical aspects of new knowledge and skills.
Steps will be taken to ensure that research-based agricultural information reaches the farmer brothers and sisters. The Chief Minister said that farmers will be made aware of soil health testing, the use of soil health cards, fertilizer management, climate resilient agriculture, etc.
He further said that our government has taken various historic steps to provide better prices to the rice-growing brothers and sisters of the state and to include them in the economic mainstream of the society. This has been possible only because of our government’s new schemes for the farmer brothers and sisters and its commitment to the welfare of the farmers.
Union Minister Chouhan said Odisha has set an example for all. Through the Samruddh Kisan Yojana, the government is purchasing paddy from farmers at Rs 3,100 per quintal, which is Rs 800 more than the minimum support price of paddy. This is a very important step because if the income of the farmer increases, the income of the country increases, he said.
Not only the agriculture sector, but many women of the state are benefiting today due to schemes like Subhadra Yojana. The Union Agriculture Minister said that we are confident that Odisha will be an example for the whole world, be it women’s empowerment or development of agricultural infrastructure.
“This is the first time since Independence that such a campaign is being undertaken to connect scientists and farmers directly. The initiative is result-oriented, and under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, there will be no shortage of funds for agricultural research,” Chouhan said while addressing the gathering.
Chouhan encouraged agricultural scientists to view their field visits as a service to the nation’s ‘Annadatas’ (food providers).
In his address, Singh Deo said the campaign is a aimed to empower farmers with machinery. This campaign is starting from Odisha and its availability will reach the farmers of Odisha.
