MP: AGRICULTURAL PROSPERITY UNDER CM CHOUHAN’S LEADERSHIP
In 2022, under Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s leadership, the state government made remarkable strides to support farmers, working towards PM Modi’s vision of a self-reliant India (Atma-nirbhar Bharat). The government’s decisions led to over double the profits for farmers, saving them both time and money. Consequently, 2022 became a groundbreaking year for the farmers of the state.
The state government’s achievements were recognized with various awards, including the Krishi Karman Award for the 7th consecutive time, the Best Performing State for maximum utilization of agriculture infrastructure fund, Best Emerging State in Millet Mission Scheme, and Excellence Award in Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.
One significant decision involved extending the benefits of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana to farmers in forest villages. The government’s initiative to include forest villages in revenue villages allowed forest rights lessees to access crop insurance benefits. To expand the reach of the crop insurance scheme, the government lowered the criterion for notified crop area from 100 hectares to 50 hectares. This move, along with combining Mukhyamantri Kisan Kalyan Yojna and Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, provided annual assistance of INR 10,000 to lakhs of farmers.
The state government decided to purchase summer moong at the support price, increasing farmers’ income. The procurement of gram, lentils, and mustard, along with wheat, added approximately INR 10,000 crore to farmers’ income. By adopting the ‘As much procurement as production’ policy, the government increased the procurement capacity of gram (chana), benefiting farmers by an additional INR 750 crore. Furthermore, the maximum daily procurement limit of 25 quintals for farmers in the Samitis was abolished.
Crop diversification schemes were introduced to promote the production of profitable crops instead of traditional ones. The government also prioritized natural farming, encouraging farmers to adopt the practice on a portion of their land. A grant of INR 900 per month was announced for rearing indigenous cows to support farmers engaged in natural farming. The government aims to conduct natural farming on over 4.45 lakh hectares along the Narmada riverbank, with 60,000 farmers registered for natural farming on 1.86 lakh hectares.
In the interest of farmers, the government prioritized agricultural input quality control, taking strict action against non-standard seed, fertilizer, and pesticide sellers. Licenses were suspended or canceled for 136 seed sellers, 120 fertilizer sellers, and 14 pesticide sellers, with FIR action taken against 39 of them.
The state government’s efforts led to the establishment and operation of a regional APEDA office, located at Mandi Board Bhopal (Kisan Bhawan), which facilitated Madhya Pradesh farmers in exporting their agricultural products and gaining maximum benefits. APEDA’S assistance enabled Chinnur rice from Balaghat to obtain a GI tag, and efforts are underway to secure GI tags for products from various districts.