CHANDIGARH, Feb 16- Haryana Chief Minister, Mr. Bhupinder Singh Hooda today said that the State government has decided to promote cultivation of Summer Moong in the entire State by adding the components of “Demonstration on Summer Moong” and “Distribution of Certified Seeds of Summer Moong on 50 per cent subsidy” at an additional cost of Rs. 7 crore in the larger interest of the farming community.
The Chief Minister said that cultivation of Summer Moong would be promoted under the plan scheme known as “scheme for promotion of crop diversification” and a target has been set to cover 70,000 hectare of area during 2011-12 Rabi under Summer Moong.
He described Moong as one of the main pulse crops of Haryana, which is taken both in summer and Kharif seasons and is a catch crop in between Rabi and kharif. It takes about 60 days for maturity, but its cultivation was never promoted in the previous years. He said that Summer Moong will not only give additional income to the farmers but would also improve soil health by adding organic matter in the soil and also tackle the problem of malnutrition among the poor farming families. He said that the promotion of cultivation of Summer Moong would also considerably reduced the consumption of urea in the succeeding Kharif crop which would cut the cost of cultivation during succeeding crops.
It may be recalled that Haryana Chief Minister, Mr. Bhupinder Singh Hooda had, during last year, taken up the issue of announcing Minimum Support Price for Summer Moong with Prime Minister so that the farmers might not be forced to dispose off their produce by resorting to distress sale. Consequently, the Government of India had deputed Nafed to procure Summer Moong on the same MSP which was applicable on Moong grown during the preceding Kharif season. However, the market rates reportedly ruled higher than the MSP in the State, thus immensely benefiting the farmers.
He said that in order to promote Summer Moong and to discourage cultivation of Summer Saathi Paddy, a total of 16,666 demonstration plots of Summer Moong would be arranged with a financial assistance of Rs. 1200 per acre to meet the cost of the seed, fertilizers, and pesticides. During the current 2011-12 Rabi, certified seed of Moong will be supplied on 50 per cent subsidy to the farmers to reduce the burden of cost of seed which is quite high.
He said that while the existing plan was being implemented in only 13 districts of the State, now the amended plan scheme would be implemented in whole of the State.