Odisha govt to irrigate more than 10,000 hectares in 5 years

In a bid to boost agriculture production, Odisha government announced a plan to provide irrigation in more than 10,000 hectares of land in the next five years through various sources.
"We have already initiated the process to expand irrigation network and achieve the target of irrigating 10,000 hectares in five years. It will help in raising farm output in the state," Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said here after inaugurating a three-day regional agriculture fair-2014.
The farmers from ten southern Odisha districts attended the fair.
Since economic growth of the state was largely dependant on agriculture, the Chief Minister said his government was giving much priority on the growth and improvement of the farm and its allied sectors.

While the government had made separate budget for the agriculture sector in the last two years, it had also announced the agriculture policy, he said.
The policy was aimed at increasing agriculture productivity, market facilities to different agri-products and to take different welfare measures for farmers, Patnaik said.

He also asked the farmers to take advantages of Biju Krushak Kalyan Yojana, an insurance policy for farmers in the state.
Despite Cyclone Phailin, the state government bagged Krishi Karman Award from the Centre for the last two consecutive years for best performing state in overall food-grain production, he said.
The Chief Minister said the proposed state potato mission, aimed at making the state self-sufficient in potato production, would start from 2015-16.

Several incentives for revival of the multi-purpose cold storages and for cultivation of the potato would be provided to the farmers, he added.