Nod to state agriculture policy
Aim to attain inclusive growth exceeding 4% in farm sector; focus on productivity of allied sectors
The Haryana gover nment on Wednesday approved an agriculture policy aiming at attaining inclusive growth exceeding 4% in the farm sector.
The state cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, resolved to make all-out efforts for effective implementation of the policy so as to ensure increased income and profitability for improved livelihood of farmers of the state.
The government would strive to ensure uninterrupted supply of electricity to farmers for at least eight hours daily, focus on productivity of allied sectors like horticulture crops, livestock, fisheries and poultry and promote dairy-based integrated farming system.
The policy also focused on ensuring efficient credit and delivery systems, reforms in marketing system and safety net programmes, more emphasis on processing and value addition, agricultural research and development and empowerment of women.
Other areas to be covered by the policy include diverse agroecology and cropping patterns.
Hooda said the target to attain inclusive growth exceeding 4% would be achieved through food, nutrition, employment and livelihood security for all; linking farmers to markets for increased income; sustainable agriculture and environmental security; priority for improving the quality of land and soil resources of the state.
He said the policy would also focus on improving water use efficiency by promoting microirrigation and other water saving devices. Greater emphasis would be laid on producing more grains per drop of water.
Bio- resource management would be further improved through ban on crop residue burning, use of non-conventional sources of energy and protecting valuable agro-biodiversity.
Apart from this, the policy would also give importance to providing site-specific weather advisory services to farmers, livestock breeders and fishermen, and take suitable measures to minimise adverse consequences of global warming and climate change.