Maharashtra is expected to increase its agriculture production by 12 per cent during the Kharif season this year.
Mumbai: Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday held a review meeting of state level kharif season. He instructed all the district collectors to ensure that no farmer is denied crop loan by banks on the pretext of their CIBIL score.
Maharashtra is expected to increase its agriculture production by 12 per cent during the Kharif season this year. The state is expected to produce 204 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of grains during the Kharif season, while the rainfall is expected to be more than average this year, which will provide a better prospect for agriculture, officials said.
After the review meeting with the divisional commissioners and district collectors, Mr. Fadnavis told the reporters that the government has taken measures to ensure that genuine seeds, fertilisers and crop loans are made available to farmers. As per the prediction of the IMD, the state is expected to have a good monsoon this year. “The state will have more than average monsoon. We have set the target of estimated production of 204 lakh metric tonnes this year. Estimated production was 182 lakh tonnes last year,” he said.
“70,000 quintal seeds are currently traceable. Bogus seeds can be identified from the SAATHI portal. We will ensure 100 percent seeds are traceable from next year,” Mr. Fadnavis said.
Warning stringent action to be taken on the fertilizer companies or shops, who will force farmers to buy unwanted products by linking it with necessary products like seeds or fertilizers bags, the Chief Minister said suppliers of seeds and fertilizers would be booked under the Essential Commodities Act if they coerce farmers.
Drawing the relationship between the poor disbursement of loan and farmer suicides, Mr. Fadnavis said, “Numbers of the private money lenders are found more in the districts where banks fail to achieve their target of loan disbursement. If we have to bring the farmers out from private money lenders’ trap, we will have to ensure availability of bank loans to them.”
