Government is imparting subsidy on Maize Seeds through National Food Security Mission
Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh here today said that Narendra Modi Government has initiated a number of significant schemes in last two years to strengthen the villages, the poor and the farmers. The positive results of these schemes have started showing up. The Minister said that despite two successive droughts, the gross production of maize in Kharif and Rabi is estimated at 21.02 million tones, for the year 2015-16.Shri Singh added that due to the hard works carried out by the farmers, scientists and policy makers the area of maize farming has increased 2.9 times, the productivity 4.8 times, and yield has been 14 times more after 1950. He observed that this is a great achievement of the farmers. More than 308 improved maize hybrid/mixed varieties have been distributed for various climate related conditions in the country after 1957. During the last five years 30 high yielding hybrids and 10 mixed varieties have been released.The Agriculture Minister stated it in India Maize Summit, organized by FICCI.
Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister said that keeping in view the varied experiments of maize the Central Government is promoting maize farming with different schemes. The government is imparting subsidy on maize seeds through National Food Security Mission (NFSM) ( Rs.50 per kg on hybrid seeds and Rs. 15 per kg on composite seeds). Central Government is providing machineries like seed/grain dryers, sheller and seeds planters etc. to promote the farming of maize in the original states of Green Revolution ( Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh) so as to encourage varied crops of maize.
Shri Singh informed that Bihar has emerged as a power house of maize on global scenario. Now this state is posing challenge to the Mid-Western States of USA in the prospective of maize production. The Northern side of the Ganges and on either side of Kosi river, a stretch from Katihar, Bhagalpur to Madhepura, Seharsa, Khagaria and Samastipur has been converted into a maize producing zone. The farmers over here are yielding more than 50 quintal maize per acre.
The Minister said that government is encouraging public-private partnership in maize farming so that maize farming and related enterprises are strengthened. Shri Singh called FICCI to join this initiative and play a significant role in the field.
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