Meet to discuss farming in eastern India

A two-day meet of scientists and ministers will be held on 9-10 July in Kolkata to boost agriculture production in the eastern region of the country.

On July 10, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar will meet chief ministers of West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh. The meeting will be hosted by Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee.

On July 9, the technical session will be attended by Vice chancellors of Bidhanchandra Agri University (West Bengal), Rajendra Prasad Agri. University (Bihar), N.D. University of Agriculture (U.P.) and director of Central Rice Research Institute.

To boost agricultural production in the country, Mukherjee in his budget for 2010-11, had allocated a sum of Rs 400 crore. It was decided that the initiative would be taken in the six eastern states to bring about a second green revolution.

According to Sarthak Kumar Barma, director of agriculture of West Bengal, issues relating to production and productivity of cereals (mostly rice) will be discussed.

West Bengal has already submitted a plan for developing hybrid and high-yield seeds in the state. The plan involving a cost of Rs 103.20 crore has already been submitted to the Planning Commission.

Of the 103.20 crore, the directorate of water resource would get Rs 25 crore, seed development Rs.25 crore, conservation of land and water resources 23.20 crore, farm mechanisation 20 crore and Rs.10 crore would be allocated for issues relating to soil.

Of the 335 blocks in state, agricultural production in 172 blocks is below average. Barma said, “We have already identified the 172 blocks and would like to work intensely to improve agricultural productivity in these areas.”

As a part of that initiative the state government will create a number of ‘seed villages’ — where “peasants would be given high-yield seeds and fertiliser and seed beds would be developed in 20 acres of land in each of those villages”.