PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Jyotirmath Union minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced the establishment of a clean plant centre costing Rs 100 crore in the State. Addressing the gathering at a Kisan Diwas event at Gauchar in Chamoli district on Monday, Chouhan claimed that the Union government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi will do everything possible for the development of Uttarakhand. Addressing the gathering, the Union minister said that after a discussion with chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, a team of scientists and officials will prepare a five-year roadmap for agriculture in the State. This team will interact with progressive farmers, experts and local officials. The aim of the initiative is to speed up the increase in the income of farmers, he said, while adding that Uttarakhand is number one when it comes to the increase in the income of farmers. However, it is also important to ascertain how to bring about the income rise in a shorter time period, he added. Considering the scope for fruit cultivation in the State, Chouhan announced that a clean plant centre will be established at a cost of Rs 100 crore at ICAR-CITH in Mukteshwar. He claimed that lakhs of saplings of kiwi, apple, malta, lemon and others will be available here to overcome the issue of spoiled saplings in nurseries. He further said that a centre of excellence on kiwi fruit will be established as part of an agreement with New Zealand which will enable Uttarakhand to become the horticultural capital of India. The minister also talked about the PM’s commitment to integrated farming to encourage varied activities including crop cultivation, growing fruits, vegetables, herbs, animal husbandry and fishery in a comparatively smaller farms. He said that an integrated farming model will be prepared in Uttarakhand with the State government’s cooperation. Speaking on the occasion, Dhami claimed that about nine lakh farmers are benefitting in Uttarakhand from various government schemes. Stressing that the State government is making consistent efforts to better the lot of farmers, he spoke about various measures taken in the State to achieve this target. State Agriculture minister Ganesh Joshi also spoke on the occasion.
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