In Haryana, 15.73 lakh soil health cards have so far been prepared to prevent unnecessary use of fertilisers. Besides, clusters in 20 development blocks of 11 districts of the state have been selected to promote certified organic farming linked with gaushalas (cowsheds). This was stated by the Principal Secretary, Agriculture, Abhilaksh Likhi on Saturday.

He said that as a result of effective extension activities, consumption of urea had reduced by ten per cent in Kharif-2016 and six per cent in Rabi 2016-17, as compared to last season.

The state government had adopted a multi-pronged strategy and accelerated its targets for different sectors to achieve the target of doubling the income of farmers by 2022, which requires annual growth of 10.41 per cent in the income of the farmers, he added.

The official further stated that state government was aiming to ensure increase in agricultural and allied sector productivity through crop diversity and peri-urban farming. Among the High Value Crops(HVC), annual growth of 14.1 per cent in cotton, two per cent in sugarcane, 4.2 per cent in fruits, 5.7 per cent in vegetables, 3.5 per cent in animal husbandry and 12 per cent in fisheries has been envisaged by 2022. Target has been set to increase productivity of fibre crop cotton from 0.274 metric tonnes per hectare to 0.693 metric tonnes per hectare, and of sugarcane from 75.18 metric tonnes per hectare to 86.30 metric tonnes per hectare.

The Haryana government has set a target to increase productivity in horticulture from 16.54 metric tonnes per hectare to 22.00 metric tonnes per hectare in fruits, and 14.99 metric tonnes per hectare to 22 metric tonnes per hectare in vegetables, with annual production growth rate of 11 per cent with the target to double the production from current level of 70.24 lakh metric tonnes to 139.23 lakh metric tonnes by 2022. The state is also setting up its first Horticulture University, Likhi added.

According to Likhi, the state government is also endeavouring to increase overall milk production from 83.81 lakh tonnes to 112 lakh tonnes with annual increase of five per cent of production. Emphasis is being laid on preservation and conservation of indigenous cattle breed to increase per capita per day availability of milk from 835 grams to 1,050 grams by 2022.