BENGALURU: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday inaugurated the International Millet and Organic Mela-2023 in Bengaluru and suggested preparing a scientific outlook report to change the lives of farmers. “In other countries, they prepare an outlook report that predicts the rainfall based on the rain received in the last decade”, Basavaraj Bommai said after inaugurating the Mela.
“A similar report must be prepared to work out the cost of cultivation of each crop. The rates must also be mentioned in the report so that farmers will grow crops accordingly. This must be discussed and debated and brought out with the coordination of the Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural Price Commission”, Bommai added.
The CM further said that the rural loan scheme must change to improve the rural economy. “The loan amount of Rs 7,000 to 8,000 is credited to farmers when the requirement is Rs 20,000. If the required loan amount is granted, then farmers will stop begging for loans from the Marwaris”.
“I have requested Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman and Union Agriculture Minister to change the rural loan scheme and urged Nabard to increase the loan sanction system. These things will end uncertainty in the lives of farmers. Our government has disbursed interest-free loans to 33 lakh farmers and to three lakh new farmers. It’s a record. The Raitha Shakti scheme has been started in 10 days. The Yashasvini scheme has been relaunched. Besides, the free power supply is supplied to farmers”, Bommai said.
Bommai said millets are grown across the state. Agricultural land once used for food production is becoming slowly becoming commercialised. “Agriculture pundits have expressed concerns that food safety will be affected in the coming days if the balance is not maintained between commercial and agricultural crops”, Bommai added.
The CM further added that the millets have got international recognition since 2023 was declared as the year of millets. Agricultural varsities must come out of the campus to help farmers on a big scale, he noted. Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shobha Karandlaje, state Agriculture Minister B C Patil, MLC T A Saravana and others were present. (ANI)