PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Pantnagar
Addressing the Kisan Mela being held at GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology here on Saturday, the chief minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami said that such fairs provide an opportunity for farmers to become familiar with innovations, new research and new information in the field of agriculture. “At the Kisan Mela, farmers receive information on various agricultural techniques, improved seeds, modern machinery and scientific methods at one place which benefit them immensely,” he said. Notably, the four-day annual mela commenced on Friday.
He listed the farmer-welfare schemes being implemented by the Narendra Modi government and asserted that the farmers are going to play a significant role in making India a developed nation by 2047 as envisioned by the Prime Minister.
Coming to Uttarakhand, the CM said that about 350 polyhouses have been set up here at a cost of Rs 115 crore. “Furthermore, farmers are being given a bonus of Rs 20 per quintal on wheat purchases and the price of sugarcane has been increased by Rs 30 per quintal. To promote horticulture farming in hilly areas, the Uttarakhand Climate Resilient Horticulture Farming Project has been launched at a cost of about Rs 1,000 crore. Similarly, our government has implemented a new apple policy, a kiwi mission and other horticulture schemes at a cost of about Rs 1,200 crore to increase fruit production. Today, Rudrapur, Sitarganj, Bazpur and surrounding areas are becoming major centres for dragon fruit production. Dragon fruit from here is in high demand in various places, and its market is rapidly expanding,” he said.
He also said that Uttarakhand has now reached fifth place in the country in both fruit and mushroom production. “While mushroom production was only 500 metric tons at the time of State’s formation, it has now increased to over 27,000 metric tons. Similarly, our State has reached eighth place in honey production, producing over 3,300 metric tons of honey,” Dhami said.
Referring to development of horticulture, he said that the Uttarakhand Horticulture Development Project is being implemented at four centres with the support of Japan at a cost of approximately Rs 526 crore. “Similarly, to promote aromatic, medicinal, and aromatic crops, we have implemented a policy from 2026 to 2036,” he said.
The vice-chancellor, Manmohan Singh Chauhan took the CM on a tour of the garden exhibition and various exhibition stalls set up by the university’s colleges.
