Garhwal Post Bureau
RUDRAPRAYAG, 13 Jun: Under the State government’s ambitious “Save the Fields Campaign“, a Farmers’ Meeting and Farmer-Scientist Interaction programme was organized on Saturday in Medanpur village of Jakholi Block. During the event, Uttarakhand’s Agriculture Minister and Rudraprayag District In-charge Minister, Ganesh Joshi, interacted directly with farmers and encouraged them to adopt modern, scientific, and natural farming practices.
Addressing the gathering, Minister Ganesh Joshi said that India is an agrarian country and that both the Central and State Governments are continuously working to increase farmers’ income. He stated that laddus made from millets and amaranth grown in Uttarakhand are being prepared as offerings at Kedarnath and Badrinath Dham, giving local products a new identity while creating employment opportunities for women self-help groups.
He informed that the State has set a target of establishing 50,000 polyhouses, with 16,000 polyhouses to be installed in the first phase. He further said that subsidies are being provided through various schemes to promote the cultivation of millets, dragon fruit, kiwi, and aromatic plants. Under the Aroma Mission, a target has been set to connect 91,000 farmers with the initiative.
Appreciating the farmers of Medanpur, the minister said that local cultivators are setting new benchmarks in agriculture by adopting innovative technologies. He emphasized that fields are the soul of farmers, and protecting crops from natural disasters and other risks requires the promotion of scientific farming, soil health management, and natural farming practices.
During the programme, the Agriculture Minister inspected laddus made from millets and amaranth by women self-help groups and commended their efforts while interacting with them. He also visited floriculture units, geo-tanks, and polyhouses established by the Agriculture Department.
Directing officials, Minister Joshi stated that Rudraprayag is a fully organic district. He instructed that strict action should be taken in accordance with regulations against anyone found selling chemical fertilizers within the district.
