BENGALURU: The State Government is in the process of converging departments associated with agriculture and allied activities to increase farmers’ income and reduce risks by diversifying agriculture and allied activities. Contours of the Directorate of Secondary Agriculture have been finalised and it is likely to be announced soon.
In August, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had announced measures to double the farmers’ income by 2023-24. Government sources said the idea is to bring together various departments, which are now working independently, to focus on integrated farming. Funds available with the departments will be pooled and specific plans that are Integrated Farming System-oriented will be made for each district.
“The idea is to ensure that farmers take up minimum three vocations so that their income goes up, their land is properly utilised, and risk reduced. Depending on only one crop is risky,” sources said. In the new system, deputy commissioners will be given the authority to ensure that convergence takes place among various departments - agriculture, horticulture, sericulture, fisheries, forestry and others - within the district. At the state level, a committee will be headed either by the additional chief secretary of the agriculture or development commissioner, and consist of other department heads.
While each department will plan independently, the committee will ensure convergence to make it farmer-centric, sources said. The Agriculture Department will be the nodal agency. Agriculture Commissioner Brijesh Kumar Dikshit confirmed to TNIE that the details have been finalised and the Government Order will be issued soon. However, experts privy to the working of the government departments said officials have to change their approach from just focusing on production to storage, processing, branding and marketing to help farmers so that new initiatives will not end up like many other committees or directorates.