FADNAVIS BATS FOR GROUP FARMING

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday stressed the need to focus on group farming and “creating water structures” to increase the productivity of crops.

The Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has instructed officials to set a new benchmark to increase the agricultural growth by focusing on intense crop patterns, better irrigation and management.

Fadnavis was reviewing the kharif season at YB Chavan auditorium on Friday. While addressing the officials, CM said, “We have to bring all the 31 lakh farmers reeling under debt within the institutional crop loan credit scheme. A sub-committee lead by additional finance secretary were asked to work out a model to optimise the network to incorporate every farmer in the institutional credit.”

Fadnavis said there are 10 to 12 district Central Cooperative (DCC) banks reeling in distress which needs strengthening. The DCC banks have better infrastructure in rural areas. “The commercial and national banks have higher capital adequacy and DCC banks have better rural infrastructure system. I urge the banks to collaborate to strengthen and spread the network of bringing farmers under the institutional credit system,” he appealed.

CM said the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted good monsoons even this year and urged all district officials and guardian ministers to maximise the infrastructure work to optimise the storage of rain water. He instructed the officials to complete the Jalyukta Shivar and farm ponds work within the next two months. Fadnavis that the focus should be shifted from macro to micro planning.