Rs 25kcr plan to boost farm output: Pawar
Amid concerns over depleting food stocks and slow farm growth, the Centre has undertaken an ambitious Rs 25,000 crore plan to plough more funds into farms to improve agriculture production across the country.
By Girish Kuber, TNN |
MUMBAI: Amid concerns over depleting food stocks and slow farm growth, the Centre has undertaken an ambitious Rs 25,000 crore plan to plough more funds into farms to improve agriculture production across the country.
���It���s an important step to encourage states to make more and more investments in agriculture sector. Under the scheme, the Centre will sanction matching grants to states that make additional allocations for agri sector,��� Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar told ET. The scheme is a part of the Food Security Mission, for which 16 states have so far approached the Centre and disbursements have already begun, he said.
The exercise is aimed at achieving 4% growth in the agriculture and allied sectors, Mr Pawar said. The scheme envisages raising the production of rice to 10 million tonnes, of wheat by eight million tonnes and of pulses by two million tonnes in the next four years.
���The idea is to encourage and incentivise states to take extra efforts to boost agriculture. If they are constrained, the Centre will help them in this endeavour,��� Mr Pawar said.
The government also wants to speed up implementation of the scheme in the wake of recent reports about impending food shortage. The Centre recently has allowed states to impose stock limit on wheat, rice, pulses and edible oils in order to check hoarding of these commodities.
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