Rs 1,500 cr to boost drip irrigation

The Gujarat government has decided to invest Rs 1,500 crore for extending drip irrigation in the state.

The government hopes to double farm revenue over the next five years through the use of the latest technology. Farm revenue in the state for 2004-05 stood at Rs 21,000 crore.

"We will more than double farm revenue in the next five years. The government has chalked out a master plan to achieve this target. We will be implementing new technologies such as micro irrigation and drip irrigation among others," chief minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday. He was in Bhuj to address a hi-tech fair.

According to a plan to extend drip irrigation in the state, each farmer needs to invest only five per cent of the entire cost of implementing drip-irrigation measures, while the rest would be funded by the state or lent by the implementing company.

"We will ensure that the farmers in Gujarat get three-phase power supply for 24 hours to enhance productivity and exports. We have already exported over 300 containers carrying about 22 tonne of food products by now," said Bhupendrasinh Chadasma, state minister of agriculture and cooperation.

Farmers have been given assurance that their entire produce will be bought at reasonable rates to prevent any price-crash.

Meanwhile, the government has also allowed contract farming and corporate farming in the state. Now the farmers will be able to sell their produce to their sponsors. The government has also allocated 1.55 lakh acre of waste land for corporate farming.

"The government will ensure that regions such as Kutch, where growing traditional agriculture commodities is not possible, farming of special crops such as jatropha, jojoba could be made popular using drip irrigation and other technological methods," said Pushpadan Gadhvi, member of Parliament from Kutch.

The government has also initiated measurers for distribution of Kisan Credit Cards. Over 19,000 such cards have already been distributed in the state.

The government is also providing soil health cards to test soil quality for enhancing productivity through use of right farming method and technology.

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Green plans for Gujarat

• State government hopes to double farm revenue over the next five years through the use of the latest technology.
• Farmers need to invest only five per cent of the entire cost of implementing drip-irrigation systems. Rest would be funded by the state or lent by the implementing company.
• Farmers assured of three-phase power supply for 24 hours to enhance productivity and exports.
• The government allocates 1.55 lakh acre of waste land for corporate farming.