Eastern India gets focused agri roadmap; centre plans ‘khet bachao abhiyan’ and crackdown on fake seeds

Bhubaneswar : The Centre has drawn up a region-specific agriculture roadmap for Eastern India with a sharper focus on pulses, oilseeds, crop diversification and integrated farming, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Tuesday during the Eastern Regional Kharif Agriculture Zonal Conference in Bhubaneswar. The conference brought together Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal to discuss strategies aimed at improving farm productivity, strengthening food security and increasing farmers’ incomes in the region. Addressing the media, Chouhan said the Centre is moving away from a “one-size-fits-all” agriculture approach and instead preparing state-specific and crop-specific plans suited to local soil, climate and farming conditions. A major highlight of the announcement was the launch of a nationwide “Khet Bachao Abhiyan” from June 1 to June 15. The campaign will focus on balanced fertiliser use, soil health awareness and farmer education to reduce excessive and unscientific fertiliser application. The Union Minister also signalled stricter regulation of farm inputs, stating that the government is preparing a new Pesticide Act and Seed Act to crack down on fake pesticides and poor-quality seeds. According to him, the current legal provisions are not stringent enough to deter offenders. Eastern India, which has large stretches of rice fallow...