Buzz about Sidhu Moosewala’s father contesting from Bathinda as Independent candidate
New Delhi, September 19
Putting the responsibility on states, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh on Tuesday asked them to chalk out individual strategies to achieve the target of doubling farmers’ income by 2022.
Radha Mohan said the Centre had come out with a four-volume report suggesting ways to boost farmers’ income which states could study and see how best it could be implemented.
Addressing a two-day national conference to evolve a sowing strategy for the Rabi season, he said the focus should not only be on crop productivity but also on allied farm activities like timber cultivation and honeybee cultivation.
“The government’s aim is to increase productivity and ensure farmers get the remunerative price for their produce,” he said recounting the schemes undertaken to achieve the target of doubling farmers’ income.
While implementing these schemes, he said states should devise their own strategy to boost farmers’ income by focusing on production-to-post-harvest activities.
This practically puts the onus of achieving Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s aim of doubling farmers’ income by 2022 on states.
Ministry officials defended the move saying that agriculture is a state subject hence the onus of implementing the Center’s schemes and benefits was also on them.
Meanwhile, the Centre also has drafted a new “market assurance scheme”, which will enable states to do agricultural market intervention at their own level.
Officials said states had been asked to study and share how they wish to implement the scheme.
