BERHAMPUR: The Horticulture department has come to the rescue of vegetable farmers in Ganjam district hit by the pandemic.
The department is helping the farmers who could not sell their produce last year owing to Covid-19 restrictions by providing subsidy and encouraging them to take up mushroom cultivation across the district.
Over 800 farmers have been provided 15 mushroom beds and financial assistance of Rs 1,000 each by the department, said deputy director of horticulture Sarat Chandra Behera. He said women self-help groups in the district have been given 150 mushroom beds and assistance of Rs 10,000 each.
The initiative has enthused the farmers particularly the women self-help groups which faced several issues due to the pandemic.
Behera said the Horticulture department has also undertaken cultivation of fruits over 3,185 acre land across the district.
While 2,775 farmers have been engaged in the cultivation of fruits, 243 are in floriculture undertaken on 127 acre land in the district. Small and marginal cultivators have been given 75 per cent subsidy by the department, while the big cultivators were given a subsidy of Rs 37,500 per hectare.
Farmers who have taken up floriculture have been paid 70 per cent subsidy. Those taking up floriculture in green houses are being given 50 per cent subsidy by the Horticulture department in the district.
Behera said cultivation of high-yielding vegetables and floriculture in green houses have been taken up on 2,250 acre of land with 2,198 farmers given a subsidy of Rs 20,000 each.
The subsidies were transferred to the farmers’ bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). He said the horticulture staff have been instructed to assist the farmers right from selection of soil to harvesting.