Explore fish farming in wetlands utilizing agriculture budget: Haryana Minister

Haryana Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shyam Singh Rana has directed officials to ensure complete and effective utilization of the allocated budget across all schemes of the Agriculture Department so that farmers could derive maximum benefit.

He also instructed the officials to conduct a fresh survey of wetland and explore the possibility of promoting fish farming in those areas.

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The Minister was presiding over a review meeting of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department officials on Friday. Additional Chief Secretary Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department, Raja Shekhar Vundru, along with other senior officers, was also present.

During the meeting, Rana reviewed the ongoing work related to soil conservation and fertilizer availability in view of the upcoming sowing season. He directed the department to take proactive steps to ensure adequate fertilizer supply to farmers.

Emphasizing the importance of seed quality, the Minister held detailed discussions on seed subsidy schemes and instructed that only high-quality seeds be provided to farmers. He asserted that no shortage of funds would be allowed to hinder the implementation of farmer-centric schemes, and that every eligible farmer should benefit from the initiatives of the Agriculture Department.

Addressing the issue of wetland in the state, the Minister said a target has been set to reclaim one lakh hectares of such land this year. He urged officials to exceed this target and make Charkhi Dadri, Sirsa, and Fatehabad districts completely wet-free, while simultaneously intensifying efforts in other districts.

The Minister also instructed the officials to encourage Panchayats to adopt fish farming by developing model ponds on wet Panchayat land. If successful, this model can be replicated for individual farmers whose land remains uncultivated due to wet land. In areas where fish farming is not feasible and water stagnation is a persistent issue, he suggested the plantation of Safeda to help restore groundwater balance.

He said that both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini envision a transformation of wetland areas into productive assets. Promoting alternative livelihoods like fish farming is part of that vision and will play a vital role in enhancing farmers’ income.

Reviewing the preparations for the upcoming paddy and cotton sowing season, the Minister assured that there would be no shortage of fertilizers and directed officials to maintain advance stocks and distribution plans.

In addition, he reviewed initiatives such as the Soil Health Card programme, stubble management, and farmer training schemes, reiterating that agriculture remains the backbone of both the national and state economy, and therefore, safeguarding the interests of farmers is a top priority for the government.