Centre assures full support to flood-affected farmers

Assuring all possible assistance to farmers affected by floods across the country, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said the Central Government stands firmly with them in this hour of natural calamity.

After chairing a high-level meeting here to review the nationwide agricultural situation in view of floods in several states, the minister said he would soon visit the affected areas of Punjab to take stock of the situation on the ground and personally meet distressed farmers to ensure all possible support.

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According to an official release, the minister reviewed the rainfall situation across states and held detailed discussions with officials regarding the floods in parts of Punjab and their impact on crops.

The meeting was attended by Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi along with other senior officials, who briefed the Union Minister on the prevailing conditions.

Meanwhile, officials informed that Kharif sowing has shown encouraging growth compared to last year. The minister also reviewed the progress in horticulture and food grain production.

He specifically sought details on the production and prices of potatoes, onions, and tomatoes. Officials also briefed him on the rainfall situation and the status of reservoirs, noting that many states received above-average rainfall this year, which is expected to benefit crops.

Chouhan directed officials to encourage farmers to adopt integrated farming, combining horticulture with food grain production, so as to enhance incomes.

He emphasized that keeping in view future demands, the agriculture sector must ensure holistic growth through alternative measures along with traditional grain cultivation. Horticulture and integrated farming, he said, are effective means in this direction.

The minister also instructed that the ‘Integrated Farming Systems’ model be widely promoted among farmers.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the constitution of inter-ministerial central teams (IMCTs) to assess flood damage in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Uttarakhand.

“The MHA is in touch with senior officers of these States/UTs and has extended all necessary logistic support by deploying teams of the NDRF, the Army, and Air Force helicopters to assist in search and rescue operations and restoration of essential services,” an official statement said.