Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said considering the delay in the onset of monsoon, SMS advisories have been sent to farmers in the State, asking them not to hurry with kharif sowing and take up the activity as per rain predictions.
He also said that despite less rains last year, the production of food grain was good due to the water conservation works undertaken in the last few years.
Fadnavis was talking to reporters here after chairing a statelevel kharif review meeting, attended by IMD officials, divisional commissioners, collectors, ministers and officials from agriculture, co-operative, animal husbandry departments.
“Since the monsoon has got delayed, advisories have been sent out in the last three days, in which farmers have been advised not to hurry with sowing operations of cotton, soybean, paddy, sugarcane and take up the activity as per the rain predictions,” he said in a press conference.
He said five crore SMSes have been sent to farmers across the state as advisories.
“Seventy lakh farmers are getting updates and guidance through SMSes. We have already issued advisories about delayed sowing and the entire state machinery is ready for the season,” he said.
The production of cotton and soybean has been good despite less rains thanks to the water conservation works undertaken in the last few years, he said, adding that agriculture production investment has increased four-fold.
“Last year, we received 73 per cent rainfall, but we could still maintain good foodgrain productivity. In 2012-13, rainfall was 90 per cent and production 128.62 lakhtonnes. In 2014-15, rainfall was 70 per cent and production was 82.51 lakh tonnes. In 2018-19, rainfall was 73 per cent and production was 115 lakhtonnes,” the chief minister said.
The agriculture production is good and the credit goes to agricultural investment and reduction in dependency on rain, Fadnavis said.
“We have invested around ₹1.50 lakh crore in agriculture and allied activities - -₹34,000 crore on irrigation, ₹8,900 crore on Jalyukt Shivar, ₹19,000 crore on loan waiver, ₹14,125 crore for assistance to farmers in natural calamities, ₹16,778 crore on crop insurance,” he said.