PUNE, Dec 23: Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced on Monday that both the central and state governments are collaborating on a new initiative aimed at aiding farmers in transporting their produce to various states and markets.
While addressing the platinum jubilee celebration of the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (AERC), Chouhan stated, “…the central government is developing a new scheme to facilitate the delivery of farmers’ products to far-off locations,” as noted in an official release.
The minister highlighted that the agricultural sector contributes 18 percent to the nation’s GDP and emphasized the government’s ongoing efforts to enhance this crucial sector.
He urged for the responsible use of natural resources and called for a halt to the excessive application of pesticides.
“It is essential to transition towards natural farming, and we must pursue this with all our vigor,” he asserted.
Chouhan mentioned that the upcoming launch of the river-linking project on December 25 would benefit farmers, advocating for the development of technologies that optimize irrigation using less water.
He pointed out the need to bring laboratory research into the fields, encouraging researchers to extend their work beyond the laboratory environment.
A new television program, ‘Modern Krishi Choupal,’ has been introduced on the DD Kisan channel to address this gap. This platform is designed to facilitate discussions among farmers, researchers, and scientists on challenges and emerging opportunities within the agricultural sector, according to Chouhan.
He stressed that agricultural information should not be exclusively available in English but should also be published in various languages to effectively bridge the gap between laboratories and farmland. (PTI)
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