Agriculture Minister chairs meeting of Agriculture and Horticulture Department officers
Punjab Newsline, Chandigarh –
Haryana Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Shyam Singh Rana, directed officers to encourage farmers to sow crops based on soil testing so that they can achieve better yields.
The Minister was chairing a meeting of officers of the Agriculture and Horticulture Departments here today. The Agriculture Minister said that officers should ensure maximum soil testing of farmers’ fields. Based on the report, farmers should be advised about the nutrients required and guided to sow crops accordingly. He added repeated cultivation of the same crop leads to depletion of specific nutrients in the soil and increases the risk of land becoming barren. He directed officers to alert such farmers after soil testing by sending messages on their mobile phones and advising them on suitable crops.
Rana also suggested that farmers be encouraged to adopt new crop rotation patterns so that crops requiring less water can be grown, while also ensuring good income for farmers. The Minister also held detailed discussions on the Bima Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme, and directed officers to resolve farmers’ issues at the earliest.