President Shri Pranab Mukherjee has conferred award to Madhya Pradesh for achieving unprecedented 18 percent agriculture growth rate in the country. The award was received by Agriculture Minister Dr. Ramkrishna Kusmaria. President Shri Pranab Mukherjee felicitated Chief Ministers of northern states for setting new records in various development sectors at Chief Ministers’ Conclave organised by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industries in New Delhi today.
Madhya Pradesh was felicitated for achieving 18 percent agriculture growth rate. On behalf of Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the award was received by state’s Agriculture Minister Dr. Ramkrishna Kusmaria.
Receiving the award, Dr. Kusmaria said that unprecedented development has been ensured in Madhya Pradesh and a number of concrete steps have been initiated for farmers’ upliftment under the leadership of Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan. On the Chief Minister’s initiative, special efforts have been made to make agriculture profitable. Last year, Madhya Pradesh’s agriculture growth rate was 18.68, the highest among all the states of the country. The Chief Minister has constituted a separate Agriculture Cabinet to take decisions on agriculture-related issues. Apart from this, farmers are being provided cooperative farm loans at zero percent interest rate. Kisan Credit Cards are being made available to farmers. Assistance worth Rs. one lakh is also being provided under Balram Talab Yojna.
Dr. Kusmaria informed that there is immense potential of food processing in Madhya Pradesh, which is to be tapped. For this, Dr. Kusmaria invited investors to Madhya Pradesh. He informed that organic farming is also being promoted in the state. Stress is being laid on use of organic manure, which is beneficial for health. A number of concrete steps, mainly feeder separation, have been initiated to supply 24-hour power to farmers. Referring to recent Global Investors Summit at Indore, the Agriculture Minister said that MoUs worth about Rs. 34 thousand crore have been signed in the agriculture sector. Dr. Kusmaria also threw light on the novel scheme to link Narmada with Kshipra river.