BHUBANESWAR: Setting an ambitious target to sell 70,000 agricultural implements to farmers under different schemes of farm mechanisation in 2023-24, the state government has made a budgetary provision of Rs 450 crore for subsidy component.
The Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare department has released subsidy amounting to Rs 151.2 crore to farmer beneficiaries. The subsidy ranges from 40 to 60 per cent for male and women farmers while SHG groups are given 75 per cent subsidy.
In a bid to to provide a common platform to manufacturers of agriculture machines and implements, farmers, SHGs, farmer producer organisations (FPOs) and financial institutions for smooth supply of such implements under subsidy scheme, the state government has planned to organise farm mechanisation mela at sub-division level in November and district level in December this year.
The directorate of Agriculture and Food Production will organise regional level mela at four places, district level mela at 26 districts and sub-division level mela at 28 places of the state to create awareness among farmers on subsidy schemes. There will be around 100 stalls at regional level mela, 40 at district level and 20 at sub-division level exhibitions for display of agriculture machines/implements, kiosks for manufacturers and financial institutions for on-the-spot booking of agriculture implements.
Apart from live demonstration of machines and implements, interactive sessions among farmers, suppliers and experts of the agriculture department on use of different implements will be held. The aim is to facilitate on-the-spot supply of agriculture implements under subsidy to farmers and other stakeholders which will contribute to enhancement of farm power input index (FPII) of the state, said a senior officer of the department.
Other organisations of the government like APICOL, OAIC, Odisha Livelihood Mission, Mission Shakti, Fisheries and ARD department, ST & SC development department will participate in the event to promote farm mechanisation.