MLAs and elected representatives of panchayati raj institutions in Rajasthan are monitoring micro-irrigation activities to ensure that the targets set by the State’s first agriculture budget are met. They also aim to create awareness among farmers in far-off villages of innovative methods of agriculture.
The first-of-its-kind budget, presented in February, had allocated ₹2,700 crore to the micro-irrigation mission, including a provision of ₹1,705 crore for irrigation through drip and sprinklers for over four lakh farmers. The budget also allocated ₹100 crore for laying an irrigation pipeline in the State.
Principal Agriculture Secretary Dinesh Kumar on Saturday said the centres of excellence in Kota and Chittorgarh would explore the potential for agro-tourism in the two districts. About 30% of the Gross State Domestic Product comes from farming and related activities.
Mr. Kumar said farmers’ income could be augmented through the food processing mission, under which subsidies are given for certain crops. He also said appropriate rates would be fixed for supplying sheds to farmers for keeping plants and saplings in nurseries.
The government will also issue approvals for building community water sources and finalise lists of eligible firms for supplying material for setting up greenhouses and shade net houses. The 11 missions announced in the budget include those devoted to organic farming, millets promotion , protected cultivation, crop protection, land fertility and agricultural technology.
