|
| State's foodgrain output may drop 10% |
| BS Reporter / Chennai/ Bangalore Mar 02, 2010, 00:08 IST |
|
Karnataka’s foodgrain production is likely to drop 10 per cent to 10.6 million tonnes during the present year due to unfavourable seasonal conditions. The state had set a target of 11.8 million tonnes for the year.
The state governor H R Bharadwaj, in his address to the joint session of the state legislature, here last week had admitted that despite the distribution of seeds to farmers at a subsidy of 50-75 per cent during the last cropping season and supply of fertiliser, the state’s foodgrain production would drop.
The state government provided a revolving a revolving fund of Rs 400 crore on soft terms to Markfed. Utilising this, fertiliser worth over Rs 950 crore were issued to the farmers.
To encourage organic farming, the government has constituted an Organic Farming Mission with a budgetary support of Rs 100 crore in the present year. To start with, 52,000 farmers have enrolled by voluntarily paying Rs 250 per head as membership fee. To begin with, over 71,000 hectares have been covered under this programme. This has substantially reduced the user of chemical fertiliser, the governor said.
To enhance the crop yield levels in the dry land areas, the government has launched the Bhoochethana programme. This involves the provision of ICRISAT’s technology, soil health cards, application of micronutrients and supply of inputs on time.
So far, 284,000 hectares across 32 taluks in six districts have been covered under the programme. This programme has been very successful and has registered increased yields, ranging between 32 per cent and 40 per cent. This programme will be scaled up across the state in a phased manner, Bharadwaj stated.
As part of the National Horticulture Mission, focus was given on the micro irrigation scheme with the objective of better utilisation of the water available. This year, the scheme has been implemented in all districts in the state with a provision of Rs 127 crore.
In order to give thrust to completion of irrigation projects in the drought-prone regions of northern Karnataka, investment clearance from Planning Commission has been obtained in respect of eight projects under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP). The government was expecting Rs 776 crore to be released under AIBP from the Central government by end of this fiscal.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Read Business news in |  |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Advertisements |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Content Guide
