Chouhan unveils agri roadmap for 4 MP districts bats for crop diversification

Raisen (MP), Apr 12 (PTI) Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday released a comprehensive agricultural roadmap for four Madhya Pradesh districts and called for a shift away from traditional farming, urging growers to take up high-value crops such as dragon fruit and avocado to boost incomes.
     Addressing farmers at the Krishi Unnati Mela here, Chouhan unveiled district-level plans for Sehore, Raisen, Vidisha, and Dewas, and inspected an Integrated Farming Model set up at the venue.
     "In order to make agriculture more profitable, it is extremely essential to adopt new technologies, diversify crops, and implement integrated farming systems," the minister said.
     He said farmers should supplement crop cultivation with animal husbandry, horticulture, beekeeping, and organic farming, adding that vegetables such as tomato, onion, garlic, okra, capsicum, and fruits like pomegranate also held significant potential in the region.
     Noting that expensive agricultural machinery remained inaccessible for many small and marginal farmers, Chouhan proposed setting up farm machine banks at the panchayat level on the lines of a model functioning in Punjab, and at least five Custom Hiring Centres in every block.
     He appealed to sarpanches to take initiative in establishing the banks, saying panchayat institutions could play a crucial role in ensuring affordable and timely access to equipment.
     The minister said cold storage facilities, pack houses, and cold chain infrastructure will be developed in the state under central government agricultural infrastructure schemes in coordination with the state government, to check post-harvest losses of perishable produce.
     He also called for strengthening Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) in "mission mode", saying collective farming efforts could fetch better prices and improved access to resources compared to individual operations.
     Chouhan said ICAR institutions near Bhopal would be linked with agricultural colleges and Krishi Vigyan Kendras to ensure scientists work directly with farmers and provide continuous guidance.
     He added that value-addition technologies, including processing of tomatoes into sauce, puree, and powder, could help farmers offset losses during periods of low market prices.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)