A horticulture-centric meeting of Krishi Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan at Mantralaya here today made several important decisions for extension and development of horticulture in the state.
The meeting decided that fruits, flowers, medicinal crops and vegetables will be removed from the ambit of Mandi Act. However, farmers will have option to sell these products in Mandis also. Following this decision, vegetables sent outside will not be checked for tax.
Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan instructed to complete the process of necessary amendments within a month.The Krishi Cabinet decided to set up horticulture hubs and horticulture village clusters in the state. The horticulture hubs would have all necessary facilities for developing a cold chain for grading, packing and forward linkage of horticulture produces. These hubs would have facilities such as cold storage, pre-cooling and storage. Poly houses and green houses may also be established in these hubs. Horticulture village clusters would be developed by notifying one or more villages, where planned action would be taken to promote one or more horticulture crops.
In the wake of this decision, horticulture hubs will be established in districts and development blocks as per crops grown there. Horticulture hubs will have all the facilities including necessary infrastructure. Agricultural societies and producer companies would be encouraged to participate in these facilities by making private capital investment.
The Chief Minister said that development of such hubs is quite necessary in view of present requirements. Detailed rules should be formed for investment in these hubs for investors from outside and it should be ensured as to what kind of facilities will be provided to them at which place. In this connection, a package will be made available, which will have a suitable amalgam of all the necessary facilities.
The Krishi Cabinet decided to promote micro irrigation method like a mission. The Chief Minister said that this method helps grow more crops in water-deficient areas. Besides, power and diesel are also saved. The Chief Minister instructed to prepare a comprehensive mission for promoting drip and sprinkle and other micro irrigation methods even in the areas which have canals and sufficient water. He said that micro irrigation method should be promoted in areas, which have canals and excess water. This will help solve formation of marshlands in excess water areas. The Chief Minister said that micro irrigation method should be experimented at some water-excess particular place as a pilot project.
Shri Chouhan instructed that from next year paddy should be sown through plantation method instead of broadcasting method in the areas which have water. This will increase production. He also gave instructions to chalk out projects as per agriculture climatic zones.
Krishi Cabinet decided to distribute copies of ‘Agriculture Sector Economic Scenario and Survey Report’ to the members of Vidhan Sabha before discussions on the budget of agriculture sector departments and supplementary demands of Horticulture, Cooperatives, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries departments.
At the meeting, members of Krishi Cabinet including Horticulture Minister Shri Kailash Vijayvargiya, Finance Minister Shri Raghavji, Water Resources Minister Shri Jayant Malaiya, Agriculture Minister Dr. Ramkrishna Kusmaria, Cooperatives Minister Shri Gaurishankar Bisen, Rural Development Minister Shri Gopal Bhargava, Forest Minister Shri Sartaj Singh and Minister of State for Energy Shri Rajendra Shukla also gave their suggestions about extension of horticulture in the state.
The Chief Secretary Shri Avani Vaish ,Agriculture Production Commissioner Shri R. Parshuram and Commissioner Horticulture Smt. Rashmi Arun Shami threw light through a presentation on present status of horticulture crops in the state, challenges and possibilities. Senior officers of concerning departments were present at the meeting.
The next meeting of Krishi Cabinet will be held on August 29. This meeting will be focused on animal husbandry and dairy issues.