Adamant to change the poor state of agriculture, despite availability of resources and an adept workforce, Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje laid down the foundation of a progressive agricultural sector, backed by a visionary budget for four subsequent years: a budget that channelizes new possibilities to ensure growth of not just Rajasthan farmers, but every individual in the state. Rajasthan Budget 2017, in all sense, was a budget for farmers, youth, and the common man. Raje made reasonable promises to farmers, promises that are on the verge of getting complete before the starting of next financial year.
Here’s what Vasundhara Raje Promised to Rajasthan Farmers…
- Organization of GRAM (Global Rajasthan Agritech Meet) in each division to ensure that all farmers can get first-hand exposure to best agricultural practices and innovations.
- Issuing of soil health card to farmers under “Swasth Dhara Evam Khet Hara” (healthy soil, green field) so that they’re familiar with the exact composition of the soil. This would help them when applying manure, pesticides, insecticides, and fertilizers to the soil.
- To insure 53 lakh farmers and 73 lakh hectare lands under Pradhanmantri Fasal Beema Yojana (Corp insurance coverage). Until the Rabi season, approximately 29 lakh hectares of land was insured under this scheme.
- Providing high-quality seeds to every farmer under Mukhyamantri Beej Swavlamban Yojana so they can cultivate sturdy, good-quality crops. Under this scheme, the government vowed to provide farmers with wheat, soybean, coriander, green pulses, barley, and urad to promote organic pulses cultivation in Rajasthan.
- Making provisions for storing surplus crops in cooperative society-managed cold storage and warehouses.
The Government is on the Verge of Fulfilling Major Promises…
- GRAM 2017 was held in Kota division to promote agro-processing, agro-marketing and post-harvesting procedures for farmers in Hadoti region (comprising of Kota, Baran, Boondi, and Jhalawar). Around 30,000 farmers participated in this agricultural fest to discuss various issues at Jajam baithaks and witnessed new innovations in agriculture at Smart Farms and GRAM exhibition area.
- Rajasthan government had promised soil health card to 1 lakh farmers. Out of these, 45,000 SHCs have already been dispatched to the farmers. The remaining soil health cards will be dispatched by the year end.
- 18 lakh new farmers in Rajasthan were linked with the farmer insurance scheme. For those who don’t know, the scheme offers the lowest premium rate of Rs 27/year.
- In terms of loan distribution, Rajasthan ranks second in the country. The state had sanctioned a loan of Rs 13,540.46 crores to 23 lakh 31 thousand farmers in Rajasthan.
- The first phase of Mukhyamantri Beej Swavlambam kicked off in Kota, Bhilwara and Udaipur this month. The draft for seed distribution has already been finalized.
- To protect rotting of crops in the off-season, Rajasthan government has instructed cooperative societies to lease the warehouses to state farmers. Taking a step in this direction, the Jaipur co-operative society will lease local warehouses to farmers at a measly rate of Rs 2 per sack/month.
Besides these, the government is putting in relentless efforts to pave way for growth in agriculture sector. Considering the pace at which they’re working to promote innovations in agriculture, it’s safe to conclude that Rajasthan will surface as an economically stable, agriculturally dominant state in future.
