New agriculture policy announced for Orissa

Bhubaneswar, Jul 5 (UNI) Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today approved a new agriculture policy for the state, according to Agriculture Minister Surendranath Naik.

He told newspersons after a meeting chaired by the Chief Minister on new agricultural policy that emphasised the need for increased productivity as well as the farmers' interests.

Provision was made to supply of quality seed to farmers, improve irrigation facilities, mechanisation of agriculture activities, marketing of agriculture goods and to ensure application of IT in agrculture sector in the policy.

Mr Naik said the new policy envisaged to launch seed treatment campaign, increase the seed replacement ratio, set up more seed processing units and seed testing laboratories in the state.

The policy also aimed at increasing the prodctivity from the present 3 to 4 per cent in next couple of years and increase the per hectare use of fertiliser from the present 54 to 80 kg.

Similarly policy planned to take the supply of certified seeds to the farmers from the present 11 per cent to 25 per cent by 2011.

The new policy increased the pattern of assistance under various schemes including capital investment subsidy for agri-enterprises, private lift irrigation projects(Jalanidhi), micro irrigation, farm mechanisation and plant protection equipment.

Under the capital investment subsidy the assistance was increased from 20 per cent of the fixed capital subject to limitation of Rs 20 lakh to 25 per cent with limitation of Rs 25 lakh.

Similarly the subsidy under the private lift irrigation projects (Jalanidhi) was raised from 30 to 50 per cent in the new policy and in drip and sprinkler irrigation from 50 to 70 per cent.

In the farm mechanisation sector the subsidy was hiked from 25 percent to 50 per cent for tractor, 40 to 50 per cent for power tiller and 25 to 50 per cent in case of self propelled reaper, paddy transplanter and other self propelled machines.

In plant protection equipment the subsidy amount was raised from 25 to 50 per cent, the Minister said.

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