Modi hails small farmers for agriculture revolution in Guj

Small farmers were behind agriculture revolution in the state in the last one decade, claimed Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi during agriculture fair in Limkheda town of Dahod district on Monday.

He further claimed that there has been a major change in trend as more number of youngster and educated youth are turning to farming in the state.

“There was a time when the elders were involved in farming. The young ones worked elsewhere and only took rounds of the field. But today, youngsters between the ages of 30 and 35 years are drawn towards agriculture. Educated people are turning to farming. This is a big thing," Modi said while addressing zonal Krishi Mahotsav at Limkheda in Dahod on Monday.

“ We do not have any big land lords (in state). (Nearly) 95% of our farmers are small or medium farmers. This agriculture revolution in Gujarat is due to our small farmers,” the chief minister added.

He also urged the farmers to look beyond farming and even focus towards animal husbandry and growing of trees. Modi stated that with the population increasing and the land resources being constant, the only way ahead for farmers was to increase productivity using latest technology.

Interestingly, the foodgrain production in Gujarat has dipped by 0.8 million tonne in 2011-12 over the previous financial year, according to latest Socio Economic Review (2012-13) of the state.

During 2011-12, the state produced an estimated 9.257 million tonnes of foodgrains compared to 10.071 million tonnes in 2010-11, the review said. The dip in production is being attributed to decrease in area under foodgrain in the state. The average yield per hectare for foodgrains has also marginally dipped to 1,955 in 2011-12 as compared to 2,053 in 2010-11.

The area under foodgrains decreased from 4,905 hectares in 2010-11 to 4,735 hectares in 2011-12, where as area under oil seed crops remained almost unchanged. The wheat production in Gujarat also dipped by 18.77 per cent at 4.072 million tonne in 2011-12. It was 5.013 million tonne in 2010-11.

Modi also took a dig at the previous Congress government in the state and alleged that they ignored the water problems of the state.  "Congress created a polity where they were interested in the chair and not the well being of our farmers. Those playing power politics will never understand the efforts we are putting in," he said.

“If the earlier governments had worked on the water situation, our farmers would have prospered but they did not do that. We are doing what they did not,” the chief minister added.