Karnal, January 8: Governments work to fulfill the needs of the country's citizens, ensuring that people have access to nutritious food that is beneficial for their health. For this, farming needs to be made much more efficient than before, and also environmentally friendly. The cycle of the world continues, and it is ever-changing; we all must be prepared for change. In a developed India, every individual, every sector, and every department will have a crucial role to play. These remarks were made by Haryana Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Animal Husbandry and Dairy, and Fisheries Minister Shyam Singh Rana, who was the chief guest at a two-day state-level workshop for horticulture officers organized by Maharana Pratap Horticulture University, Karnal, in collaboration with the Horticulture Department, Government of Haryana, and Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, at the Central Soil Salinity Research Institute (CSSRI), Karnal.
Upon his arrival at the workshop, the Honorable Vice-Chancellor of MHU, Prof. Suresh Kumar Malhotra, welcomed the chief guest, Agriculture Minister Shyam Singh Rana, by presenting him with a memento. The Agriculture Minister said that Haryana state has a relatively small area, but its importance is immense because it is connected to the country's capital, Delhi, on three sides. He said that currently, farmers' income has more than doubled, and since the BJP government came to power in the country, the price of crops has been directly credited to the farmers' accounts, which was not the case before. Farmers' income started increasing under BJP rule. This is because Chief Minister Manohar Lal, during his tenure, formulated a policy: "He who owns the produce, receives the money." Farmers' grains are sold in the mandis (markets), and the current government is depositing the money into the farmers' accounts within 48 hours. MSP (Minimum Support Price) has been fixed for 24 crops, and if a crop is sold at a rate lower than the MSP, the loss is compensated under the Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana (Price Difference Compensation Scheme). The government has no shortage of budget; spend it and more will be provided:
The Agriculture Minister said that considering the importance of horticulture in the state, the government has established MHU (Maharana Pratap Horticultural University), where research, academic, and extension activities are being carried out. Farmers have started benefiting from this. He said that the budget allocated by the government should directly reach the farmers. The government has no shortage of funds because the central government provides assistance, and the state government, with the cooperation of its officials, has to ensure that this assistance reaches the farmers. This will help in more than doubling the farmers' income.
MHU working on feedback received from farmers:
The Honorable Vice-Chancellor of MHU, Prof. Suresh Malhotra, said that MHU has started working rapidly on the suggestions given by the Agriculture Minister regarding farming and agriculture. There are immense possibilities for dragon fruit, banana, and papaya cultivation in the state, and research has been initiated on these. He said that feedback was collected from farmers and at the village level, which has been received by MHU.
MHU has categorized this feedback and started research accordingly. Vice-Chancellor Prof. Suresh also mentioned that a future development department has been created, and MHU has been included in it. He said that there is a great need for innovation, and crop modules are being prepared and will be delivered to the farmers.