Scheme spurs sustainable farming, higher returns for farmers

Raipur. The state government led by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has bought positive changes in the lives of farmers. Farmers in the state are diversifying their crops, moving away from relying solely on paddy cultivation. The state government’s farmer-friendly schemes have influenced this shift, leading to visible changes in the agriculture sector. The state government has made consistent efforts to support and encourage agricultural diversity for the benefit of farmers. As a result, they are cultivating alternative crops such as wheat, flax, and lentils which require less water and incur lower costs.

A majority of the state’s population relies on agriculture and the majority of the state’s area is rain-fed, which makes agricultural income uncertain due to seasonal adversity. In order to provide adequate investment in agriculture and relief to farmers in the cost of cultivation, the state government has instituted schemes in their interest, through which the farmers are getting better production as well as becoming financially empowered.

The Agriculture Department’s TRFA scheme is providing subsidies for seeds to encourage farmers to cultivate alternative crops. Apart from paddy, Farmers in the district are now diversifying their crops and achieving favorable yields with less water and less cost, ultimately leading to increased profits.

Shri Rajesh Yadav, a farmer from Siltara village in the Takhatpur development block, of Bilaspur District embraced this initiative. Shri Yadav stated that he owns a 1.5-acre agricultural land where he used to cultivate paddy. Paddy crops demanded excessive water during the summer season, negatively impacting the yield. With the help of the Agriculture Department, he learned about the cultivation of other crops like wheat, moong, lentils, and corn, which could be grown with less water and at lower expenses. The Agriculture Department provided a 50% subsidy on wheat seeds and gave lentil seeds for demonstration purposes.

Inspired by the information, Shri Yadav decided to sow a mixture of wheat and lentils. The result was a successful harvest with minimal water usage, prompting other farmers to follow suit and adopt mixed cropping practices. Shri Yadav expressed his gratitude to the Agriculture Department for the scheme.