Haryana to get Rs 22 crore grant for agriculture

Chandigarh, May 23 (UNI) To give a major fillip to the agriculture sector in Haryana, the Union government has approved a sum of Rs 22.66 crore under the Macro Management Mode System for the current financial year.

The allocation showed a substantial increase of Rs 4.23 crore over Rs 18.43 crore, allocated last year, Agriculture Minister H S Chatha said today.

Of the total amount of Rs 22.66 crore, the share of the Union government would be Rs 20.40 crore and the remaining amount of Rs 2.26 crore would be made available by the state government.

He said 80 per cent of the total sanctioned amount would be in the form of grant-in-aid and 20 per cent in the form of loan.

A total of 2.50 lakh quintal certified seeds of paddy, bajra, barley and wheat would be provided on subsidy of Rs 200 per quintal to the farmers during the current financial year.

As many as 206 training camps would be organised to acquaint the farmers with the latest technology available in the field of farming.

Also, 1500 zero-tillage machines, 2200 rotavators, 447 straw reaper, 146 post hole digger, machinery of 200 Dal Mills would be made available at a subsidy of 25 per cent.

Mr Chatha said the farmers would be given Dhaincha seed to cultivate 26150 acres of land free of cost and 390 farmers. Field Schools would be organised to benefit the farming community.

Director Agriculture R K Khullar said that an amount of Rs 1500 per acre would be given to the farmers as an incentive to encourage them to diversify their crops from rice to oil seed and pulses during the current financial year.

He said a sum of Rs 90 lakh would be given for establishment and strengthing of pesticides and fertilisers laboratories in the state.

UNI MA ARB PM1925