Challenges in agriculture sector need to be met Haryana CM

    Ganaur (Sonipat), Feb 17 (PTI) Haryana has made significant achievements in agriculture, but there are challenges which need to be met, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said Sunday.
Khattar, while addressing the closing ceremony of the 4th Agri Leadership Summit here, said his government has set a target to ensure that farmers earn an income of at least Rs 1 lakh per acre.
For this, farmers are being encouraged to adopt practices like bee-keeping, dairy farming and fisheries, besides traditional farming of rice and wheat, he said.
The aim of the summit is to find ways to enhance farmers' income and to realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of doubling the income of farmers by the year 2022, he said.
The earlier three editions of the summit were held in Gurgaon, Faridabad and Rohtak.
President Ram Nath Kovind also addressed the gathering at the summit on Sunday.
Describing Haryana as the "food basket" of the country, Khattar said the state contributed 45 per cent paddy and 65 per cent wheat to the central pool.
"Haryana has made significant achievement in agriculture but there are challenges which need to be met. Shrinking land holding is one of them," Khattar said.
Expressing concern over the depleting level of underground water in some parts of the state, the chief minister said the state government had declared some areas as 'dark zone'.
Apart from this, farmers have been encouraged to adopt micro-irrigation.
He said about 45,000 Soil Health Cards had been issued to the farmers to enable them to grow crop according to the health of the soil and improve its fertility.
The International Horticulture Market at Sonipat's Ganaur is being constructed over 600 acres of land at a cost of Rs 1,400 crore. The foundation stone of the market has been laid and the construction would start soon, the chief minister said.
With a view to enhancing the income of farmers, Haryana Kisan Kalyan Pradhikaran has been constituted comprising different related departments.
Similarly, Haryana Pond Management Authority has been constituted for the rejuvenation of 14,000 ponds in the state and to utilise the water of overflowing ponds for irrigation purposes, he added. PTI SUN DPB