Subsidised foreign study tours for Maha farmers to raise yield

To educate farmers on best agricultural practises that will help them increase yield, the Maharashtra government is organising a ten-day study tour to Europe for 300 farmers this financial year.
"We started this initiative last financial year in which about 540 farmers have participated. This year we are planning to send up to 300 farmers under this programme taking the total to 791. The farmers, who are sent in batch of 45 each, are accompanied by two senior officers from Agriculture Department and University, who will help guide them in local language," Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil said.
Under this initiative, 50 per cent of the tour cost is funded by the state government and the rest by the farmer, he said.

"This initiative is becoming popular as we are receiving more and more applications. We have about 1,700-1,800 applications pending with us. However, we give more preference to women and award winning farmers," he said.
The tour are organised for Israel for micro-irrigation and green house, plasticulture technology, to Europe for dairy, processing, market study and flora, Holland for world best flower auction centre, bee-keeping and agri mechanisation and handling of agri produce, to Vietnam and Malasiya for paddy and tropical fruit cultivation and agriculture operations, food processing.
The government also plans to send farmers to South America, South Africa, South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

A budgetary allocation of Rs 10 crore for each fiscal year is earmarked, which would be raised depending on the need and response.
The selection process for this trip is done by a committee, which ensure that the applications are from farmers, he said.