State govt evolving new cropping pattern on soil mapping

Nagpur, May 11 (UNI) The Government of Maharashtra is evolving a new cropping pattern for the entire state on the basis of soil mapping and weather data, Minister for Agriculture Balasaheb Thorat said.

Speaking to newsmen after a Kharif preview meeting here yesterday, Mr Thorat said the new cropping pattern was being worked out for each individual village in the state after taking into consideration the kind and quality of soil, the extent of rainfall and the overall weather pattern.

The Department of Agriculture would provide guidance to the farmers on the kind of crops to be taken for maximum benefit, Mr Thorat said. The guidance would be provided through agro-science clubs in each village. Besides, the department would provide training in the new cropping pattern to select young farmers, who would then guide other farmers in their villages, he said.

This would help farmers take the crop, most suitable for a particular condition rather than going by guesswork and tradition, the minister said. However, he did say how soon the new cropping pattern would be worked out and when the guidance would begin.

The task of preparing a soil map for the entire state had been completed after collecting and analysing 10 soil samples from each of the 44,000 villages in Maharashtra, Mr Thorat said. The task had been completed in three months and the second phase of evolving the cropping pattern was now in progress, he said.

Mr Thorat said, Kharif review meetings would henceforth be held in agriculture universities in the state rather than in the office of the Divisional Commissioner concerned. ''This will ensure that farmers benefited from the research in Agriculture Universities and the Universities themselves responded to the needs of the farmers,'' he added.

UNI