How is Odisha CM Promoting Crop Diversification to Help Farmers Increase Income?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi urges farmers to diversify crops.
- Focus on pulses and oilseeds to increase income.
- Government offers subsidies and financial assistance.
- Over 34.12 lakh farmers received support recently.
- Scholarships for farmers’ children under Krishi Vidya Nidhi.
Bhubaneswar, Nov 19 (NationPress) The Chief Minister of Odisha, Mohan Charan Majhi, on Wednesday encouraged farmers to embrace crop diversification by focusing on the cultivation of oilseeds and pulses to significantly enhance their income.
During a state-level event celebrating the distribution of the 21st PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi instalment, CM Majhi emphasized the importance of crop diversification and urged farmers to increase their production of pulses and oilseeds for a substantial rise in their earnings. He also mentioned that the state government is providing subsidies to assist farmers in boosting their income.
The Chief Minister highlighted the government's efforts to alleviate GST burdens to facilitate farmers in adopting new crops and technologies. He stated that the government’s primary goal is to ensure the empowerment and welfare of farmers.
“The empowerment and welfare of farmers in our state is the government's main objective. As Chief Minister, I want to guarantee that all eligible farmers in the state access the benefits and opportunities of every scheme designed for them. No farmer should miss out on these advantages,” CM Majhi remarked.
In a related note, PM Modi inaugurated the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi disbursement program from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, on the same day. This instalment provides over Rs 18,000 crore in assistance to more than 9 crore farmers nationwide.
The Central Government grants financial assistance of Rs 6,000 annually in three instalments to support farmers in acquiring seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and other essential inputs as needed.
“On Wednesday, over 34.12 lakh farmers in our state received Rs 2,000 each under this flagship scheme. This assistance is delivered transparently and benefits small, medium, large, and urban landholding farmers,” stated CM Majhi.
He added that through this transformative initiative of the Prime Minister, farmers, the economically disadvantaged, and women across the country are experiencing significant benefits. Additionally, apart from PM-Kisan, the Odisha government is also allocating Rs 4,000 to farmers in two instalments under the CM-Kisan scheme.
The Chief Minister disclosed that in the current financial year, Rs 2,991 crore has been distributed to 51.54 lakh farmers under the CM-Kisan Yojana, which includes 3,236 PVTG farmers and 31,695 urban farmers. Furthermore, under the Krishi Vidya Nidhi scheme, scholarships are offered to the children of CM-Kisan beneficiaries for higher and technical education.
For the academic year 2024-25, scholarships amounting to Rs 53.67 crore have been allocated to 13,923 students, marking a fivefold increase compared to the previous year, he claimed.