Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said that technology that reduces a farmer’s input costs, lowers the need for manual labour and increases returns from crops is the real innovation for farmers. The true success of any technology should be reflected in the farmer’s account book. He said that technology is useful for farmers only when it is affordable, easy to use and can also be repaired locally in or around villages.
The Chief Minister was addressing the closing session of the fifth ‘Innovative Farmers’ Meet’ organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in Ladwa, Kurukshetra, on Wednesday. On the occasion, he inaugurated and visited an exhibition of agricultural machinery and interacted with progressive farmers. He said the distinctive feature of the Innovative Farmers Meet was that discussions were not confined to big cities or conference halls, but were being taken directly to farmers.
Technology Essential for Water and Soil Health
The Chief Minister said that agriculture today faces serious challenges such as weather uncertainties, increasing water scarcity and deteriorating soil health. Therefore, there is a need to move towards farming practices that can withstand changing conditions while increasing farmers’ income. He said paddy and wheat cultivation has particular significance in the region. Measures such as direct seeding of rice, crop-specific micro-irrigation and land levelling can prove useful. He urged farmers to get their soil tested and use fertilisers according to the requirements of their land. He also emphasised maintaining soil fertility through crop diversification, organic matter and scientific advice.
The Chief Minister also called for greater focus on crop diversification. He said that wherever conditions are suitable, possibilities for cultivating pulses, oilseeds, vegetables, fruits and other appropriate crops should be explored. He urged industries to support farmers by providing training on quality and food safety standards and helping them connect with better markets.
Haryana Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shyam Singh Rana said farmers should adopt direct seeding of rice. This can benefit farmers by around Rs 15,000 per acre, including savings of Rs 10,000 per acre in cultivation costs and assistance of Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 per acre from the government. He said direct seeding also helps conserve water.
