The Government has initiated steps to ensure increased credit flow to the rural sector and for higher investment in irrigation facilities and towards better resource conservation strategies. Stress has been given to higher seed replacement ratio for hybrid and high yielding varieties, setting up of more plant quarantine stations, and agricultural clinics aimed at promoting self employment of agricultural facilities at district and block levels.
The National Conference on Agriculture for Kharif Campaign 2005 was held on 22nd and 23rd March 2005 at New Delhi to assess the Rabi Prospects for 2004-05 and to review preparation for kharif crops of 2005. In the Conference the Government underscored the importance of integrated efforts by Public and Private Institutions like Farmers’ Associations, State Agriculture Universities.
Regarding agricultural inputs, like quality seeds, fertilizers etc. efforts are on to ensure their timely availability. Preventive measures to avoid outbreak of pests and diseases affecting crop production, suitable schemes to ensure adequate supply of agricultural credit to the farmers also have been initiated.
There is substantial increase in the budgetary allocation for Department of Agriculture & Cooperation in 2005-06 in comparison to 2004-05 as the plan outlay for annual plan 2005-06 is Rs.4179.32 crore as compared to budget estimates of Rs. 2650.00 crore for 2004-05.
The foodgrain production in 2004-05 is estimated at 210.44 million tonnes against 213.46 million tonnes last years. The reason for the decline is inadequate rainfall received during monsoon 2004. As compared to 2003, the southwest monsoon in 2004 was erratic with prolonged weak/break monsoon conditions prevailing during late June, most of July, late August and early September over different parts of the country. For the country as a whole, the seasonal rainfall from 1st June to 30th September was 87 per cent of its Long Period Average (LPA). As a consequence the Kharif foodgrain production in 2004-05 decline and is estimated at 104.08 million tonnes which is 12.8 million tonnes or 10.95 per cent less than the corresponding kharif production in 2003-04. However, the rabi production in 2004-05 is estimated at 106.36 million tonnes which is 9.78 million tonnes or 10.13 per cent more than the corresponding production figure in 2003-04.
This information was given by Shri Kanti Lal Bhuria, Minister of State for Agriculture, in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.
UM/RC/Hb
(Release ID :9083)