BHUBANESWAR: In an apparent bid to counter the farmers' agitation over price, pension and prestige, the State Government has launched the three-and-a-half months-long drive to contact farmers and educate them about the welfare initiatives taken through various departments. The objective of the campaign is to bring services of different schemes of Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment, Fisheries and Animal Resources Development, Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes Development, Cooperation and Panchayati Raj departments besides Odisha Livelihood Mission closer to the farmers through convergence.
The campaign, which has been launched from November 15, will cover all villages and each of the Primary Agriculture Cooperative Society (PACS) has been directed by the Cooperation department to organise farmers’ meet, ‘Krushak Sampark Shibir’, on pre-scheduled dates.
Operational guidelines issued by the Cooperation department to district Collectors said dates for the farmers’ meet should be fixed keeping the paddy procurement activities in mind. The farmers will be informed about the scheduled meet at least seven days in advance and all district level officers of the departments concerned have been instructed to participate in the contact programme. The meeting at panchayat level will be funded by the blocks.
“At least 10 progressive and prompt paying farmer members of PACS will be honoured at the Krushak Sampark Shibir by the Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment department with certificates and token mementoes,” stated a circular from the department. Apart from creating awareness among farmers, the other objective of the campaign is to increase crop area and production under Rabi cultivation and make institutional arrangements for the supply of adequate quantity of quality seeds for paddy and non-paddy crops.
Adoption of integrated nutrient and pest management, promotion of farm mechanisation, ensuring minimum support price for paddy and non-paddy crops, increase area under irrigation, farm equipment support through common facility centre, promotion of dairy and backyard poultry farming with emphasis on women SHGs, support to farmers for pisciculture in tanks and ponds and extension of input subsidy for freshwater and brackish water fisheries are the other objectives of the campaign.
The PACS have been entrusted with the responsibility to create joint liability groups in 2300 gram panchayats of 187 identified blocks for extension of additional credit support to small and marginal farmers and sharecroppers. The campaign will continue till the end of February next year.