Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Minister Chander Kumar Chaudhary inaugurated the district-level Kisan Mela at the old vegetable market in Patlikul on Tuesday. He also visited the exhibitions set up by various departments.
Addressing the farmers, the minister stated that farming is the primary occupation of the people in the state and the government is committed to directly engaging with farmers to make them economically self-reliant. He emphasised that agriculture is a major industry, with over 70 per cent of the state’s population directly associated with it, while the sector contributes 7 to 8 per cent to the country’s GDP.
The minister highlighted that the state has limited arable land, so agricultural scientists and officers have been directed to promote farming and horticulture according to field sizes, soil fertility and local climate conditions. Agricultural officers are being provided special training in Dehradun to study the state’s weather patterns.
The minister said efforts are underway to connect farmers with digital platforms and make all agricultural information available through a portal. This will interconnect all markets in the state and enable farmers to get timely information about better prices for their produce. The government is moving forward with positive changes and modern thinking in the agricultural sector, he added.
The minister mentioned that research is being tailored to meet the actual needs of farmers and fields. The Agriculture Department, through JICA and the ATMA project, is encouraging farmers to adopt new techniques and natural farming.
