The exercise for presenting a separate “agriculture budget”, with the emphasis on welfare measures for farmers, has started in Rajasthan in accordance with the announcement made by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in the 2021-22 State Budget. The new document will provide for innovations for the benefit of cultivators.
Agriculture Minister Lalchand Kataria said in the State Assembly that while the agriculture budget would fulfil the dreams of farmers, the steps for providing new facilities in the farm sector would be accompanied by sufficient financial provisions. Organic farming would also be promoted in a big way, he said.
The Assembly passed the budgetary demands worth ₹3,756 crore for the agriculture sector and ₹1,829 crore for the Animal Husbandry Department by a voice vote after the debate on the demand for grants.
Mr. Kataria said the agriculture and allied sector had registered a growth rate of 3.45% in 2020-21 despite the adverse circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic. With more than 1.30 lakh farmers engaged in organic farming, the department was working to provide agricultural equipment on rent to cultivators, he said.
The Minister said a new scheme of ₹23 crore had been formulated for the protection of camels and an additional ₹1,750 crore had been provided in the last two years in the Farmers’ Welfare Fund. He called upon farmers to adopt modern methods of agriculture and conserve rain water for irrigation.
