Haryana to Modernize Agriculture, Boost Farmers'' Income

Chandigarh, Jul 3 (PTI) With the objective of making Haryana a leading agricultural state in the country and enhancing farmers' income, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Friday reviewed the agriculture department's five-year roadmap and action plan in a meeting here.

In the meeting, the focus was on increasing farmers' earnings by integrating agriculture with modern technologies, reducing cultivation costs, and ensuring better market access.

Reviewing the progress of state government and budget announcements related to the Agriculture Department, the chief minister directed officers to implement the "Vision-2047" goals within the stipulated timeframe so that every farmer benefits from government schemes and agriculture becomes more profitable.

Saini said the objective of Haryana Vision-2047 is not merely to increase agricultural production but also to enhance farmers' incomes and make agriculture future-ready.

A review was also done regarding the campaign to reclaim waterlogged, saline agricultural land.

Officers apprised the chief minister that a target has been set to reclaim 1.40 lakh acres of such land during the current year, an official statement said.

The chief minister directed that a scientific plan to prevent the recurrence of the problem in the future and that a system for regular satellite-based monitoring be developed.

Reviewing the Soil Health Card scheme, officers informed that the state has set a target of issuing 15 lakh cards.

In the first phase, 3.75 lakh soil samples are to be collected, of which 50,620 samples have already been gathered. The remaining target is expected to be completed by July.

Saini directed that school and college students and rural youth be engaged as volunteers in the campaign so that they gain an understanding of soil testing while also developing a greater interest in agriculture.


He further suggested that in districts with high urea consumption, soil test reports should be analysed to determine whether there is an actual nitrogen deficiency or whether farmers are applying urea in excess of the required quantity. Based on the findings, an appropriate strategy should be prepared to promote balanced fertiliser use among farmers.

During the meeting, detailed discussions were also held on promoting natural and organic farming.

Officers apprised the chief minister that special arrangements are being made in 10 districts for the sale of natural and organic produce. Dedicated markets will be established in Hisar and Gurugram, while separate spaces will be earmarked for such produce in eight other mandis.

Discussions were also held on further strengthening the certification mechanism for farmers' produce.

The chief minister directed that separate registers be maintained in mandis for the procurement of crops produced through natural and organic farming.

The meeting further discussed promoting Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) technology, widely publicising the incentives available to farmers under the scheme, and encouraging greater adoption of the technology.

Setting a target of reducing stubble-burning incidents to zero through awareness campaigns and the use of modern farm machinery, the chief minister categorically directed that reapers and other necessary agricultural equipment be made available in districts bordering Punjab.

In another meeting, Saini directed Agriculture Department officials to immediately initiate a scientific assessment of the quality of water drawn from farmers' tubewells across the state so that farmers can receive timely scientific advice suited to the conditions of their fields and water resources.

He said that the state government will test the quality of water from all tubewells in Haryana and ensure that the entire process is simple, transparent and farmer-friendly.

He was reviewing schemes and projects of the Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Department.