CM for group farming to increase crop productivity

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today stressed the need to focus on group farming and "creating water structures" to increase the productivity of crops.
"Our target this year is to increase the productivity of crops. Each district must take this mission and plan accordingly," Fadnavis told a meeting held here to discuss kharif season.
The meeting was attended by state ministers, district collectors, and divisional commissioners.
"We need to focus more on group farming, cluster-based approach and also on creating water structures in the next two months," the CM said.
He directed all ministers to organise a 'loan mela' in each district of the state and asked collectors to plan details for the 'loan melas' minutely.

"We have constituted a committee under ACS, Finance, to bring back farmers, left out of credit system, into the institutional credit system," the CM said.

Fadnavis congratulated departments of Agriculture, Marketing, and Cooperative for doing a proper planning last year, which, he said has resulted into the state achieving a double-digit growth rate in agriculture.
"Agriculture Universities and other departments must come together for the purpose of studying, planning crop pattern and guiding farmers from time to time," he said, adding that the work for building farm ponds under 'Jalyukt Shivar scheme' would be completed on a mission mode and funds will be made available.

Fadnavis said that every farmer should be brought under the crop insurance cover.
"We are praying for good monsoon, but at the same time we have to be prepared and ready with a mitigation plan anticipating any kind of situation," he said.