Wednesday, 14 December 2022 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Buy produce directly from farms, spend 10 days a month on field visits & develop government gardens for horticulture tourism, says Joshi
The Agriculture and Horticulture minister Ganesh Joshi has directed officials to purchase the produce of farmers by going directly to their farms in vans. He also directed the secretary, director and other departmental officials to spend at least 10 days in a month working in the field. The officials were also told to develop government gardens and orchards for horticulture tourism. The minister issued these directions while chairing a review meeting of the Agriculture and Horticulture departments here on Tuesday.
The minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had declared 2023 as the year of millets. Stating that the demand for millets has increased these days, he told officials that the government is laying special focus on mountain produce including Mandua, Ramdana and Jhangora. He said that the State government has decided that the ration provided to the poor from licensed ration shops will also include one kilogramme Mandua. Similarly, coarse grains will be sent for use in midday meals and Anganwadi centres to increase its consumption. In order to ensure fair prices for the produce grown by the farmers, he directed departmental officials to purchase the produce directly from farmers at their fields using a van. This will ensure that the farmer benefits directly instead of the money earned by businessmen in between. These measures will encourage an increase in millet production, opined Joshi.
The minister told Horticulture officials that the government gardens should be developed for horticulture tourism. Discussion was also held on developing Dhanaulti for horticulture tourism in the meeting. He also directed the Agriculture secretary, director and other officials to spend 10 days in a month on field visits. Joshi also instructed the officials to ensure that apple growers get good quality crates/boxes on time. Preparations should be undertaken now so that next time the apple growers do not need to go elsewhere to get boxes for their produce, he said. Joshi further said that the crops being grown in January should be high quality. Secretary BVRC Purushottam, additional secretary Ranveer Singh Chauhan, Horticulture director HS Baweja, Agriculture director Gaurishankar and others were also present in the meeting.
