NEW DELHI: Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan held a high-level meeting with officials to discuss the ongoing flood situation in various states and its impact on crops. He is planning to visit Punjab soon to assess the situation firsthand.
During the meeting, Chouhan reviewed the rainfall situations across different states and engaged in detailed discussions with officials about the flooding in parts of Punjab and its effects on agriculture.
During the meeting, Chouhan assured farmers of Punjab that Central government will compensate losses due to heavy rains in the region.
“The farmers of Punjab, who were affected by floods, should not worry as the Central Government stands firmly with the affected farmers in this hour of natural calamity,” said Chouhan.
He informed that he will visit the flood-affected areas of Punjab soon to take stock of the situation on the ground and personally meet the distressed farmers to ensure all possible assistance.
The meeting was attended by Agriculture Secretary Dr Devesh Chaturvedi along with other senior officials, who gave a detailed briefing to the Union Minister about the agriculture sector across the country.
Meanwhile, Minister was informed that the Kharif sowing area has shown encouraging growth compared to last year.
The Minister also reviewed progress in horticulture along with food grain crops. He specifically sought details on the production and prices of potatoes, onions, and tomatoes.
Officials briefed him on rainfall across states and the status of reservoirs, informing him that many states received above-average rainfall this year, which is beneficial for crops.
Chouhan directed officials to encourage farmers to adopt integrated farming, including horticulture along with food grain crops, so that they can earn higher incomes.
“Keeping in view future demands, the agriculture sector must achieve holistic growth through alternative measures along with grain production in fields. Horticulture and integrated farming are effective means in this direction,” said Chouhan.
He also instructed that the ‘Integrated Farming Systems’ should be widely promoted among farmers.