Agriculture fair and exhibition inaugurated in Morena, Madhya Pradesh in the presence of thousands of farmers

New Delhi : A 3-day mega agricultural fair and exhibition at Morena, organized by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in collaboration with the Madhya Pradesh government and district administration, was inaugurated today by Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister and regional MP Shri Narendra Singh Tomar presided over the function. On this occasion, in the presence of thousands of farmers of Chambal-Gwalior region, 103 Amrit Sarovars were inaugurated, foundation stone laid of Mukhya Mantri Sanjeevani Kendras and ground breaking ceremony of various works for indoor and outdoor facilities at the stadium costing Rs 10 crore were performed. The visiting farmers took advantage of various training sessions throughout the day at the Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Stadium. Several training sessions will also be held tomorrow and on 13^th November. A large number of farmers from Morena, besides Sheopur, Gwalior, Bhind, Shivpuri, Datia and nearby areas participated in the mega event.

Chief guest at the inaugural ceremony, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shri Chouhan thanked the Union Minister and local MP Shri Tomar for organizing this mega event for farmers in Morena, which would benefit thousands of farmers of Chambal-Gwalior region. The Chief Minister said that Prime Minister Shri Modi’s resolve is to double the income of farmers, however this will not be achieved by mere slogans, but measures will have to be taken for this, which are being undertaken by the Central and State Governments. He said that during the tenure of his government, irrigation is now being done in an area of ​​45 lakh hectares of the state, compared to the earlier 7-and-a-half lakh hectares irrigated area.

Shri Chouhan said that in addition to starting more irrigation schemes in this region, the MP Government has done the work of providing water, starting from Morena to the end of Bhind, by paving canals and through other projects. Accepting the request made by Shri Tomar during his visit to Bhopal, the Chief Minister said that the State Government is going to approve the Chantikheda Major Irrigation Project at a cost of Rs. 539 crore which will provide irrigation facility to 15300 ha fields spread across about 58 villages in Vijaypur of Sheopur district and Sabalgarh legislative assembly of Morena district. This project is proposed on the Kunwari river near village Chantikhedi. The Chief Minister said that apart from this, Tantoli, Bijrauli, Maheshwara, Rithala and Gudala step dams, Navalpura, Godawali and Barghna ponds and Baroda, Patalgarh, Parvati Dam, Moonjri, Sanghata, Baghelrani, Katekara, Harjanbasai, Rani Bringwa, Kanawar etc, the MP Government will leave no stone unturned on completing irrigation schemes so that the income of the farmers can increase. The aim of the government is to reduce the cost of farming along with increasing the production.

The Chief Minister said that the MP Government is working to provide loans to farmers at zero percent interest, which will reduce their cost. Shri Chouhan said that Prime Minister has declared and farmers are getting Rs.6,000 in 3 installments every year directly in their bank accounts under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi are being given, in which the state government, on its own behalf, is providing an extra Rs. 4,000 each. This is a big deal for small farmers. He said that at the initiative of the Central Government, now wheat will be procured at an MSP of Rs. 2,125 per quintal, for which he thanked the Prime Minister. Shri Chouhan also said that in the eventuality of crop failure as a result of natural calamity, farmers are being compensated under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. In MP, Rs. 7,618 crore has been disbursed into the bank accounts of farmers under this scheme. Overall, Rs. 2.12 lakh crore has been deposited in the accounts of 80 lakh farmers under various schemes, which is nothing short of a miracle.

Shri Chouhan said that natural farming is beneficial, which should be adopted by the farmers, while half the amount will be given to small farmers in Madhya Pradesh to buy stubble straw cutting machines for making fodder. In case of remaining farmers, this aid provided will be 40 percent of the value. With this, there will be no need to burn stubble in the field, while the youth will also get employment. Machines will also be provided on rent from Custom Hiring Centers. For the youth, vehicles will be financed to carry the material from the supply centers to the ration shops, which will fetch them a monthly rent of about Rs 1.20 lakh. The Central and State governments are undertaking several initiatives. Under this, now clean drinking water will be provided by laying pipe lines in every village and not from hand pumps. Praising the Union Minister Shri Tomar, the Chief Minister said that under his leadership, new paradigms of development have been created in this area and farmers are getting benefits continuously.

In the function, Union Minister Shri Tomar said that Prime Minister Shri Modi wants villages to develop, agriculture becomes profitable and the living standard of farmers to improve. With this view, under the security cover of crop insurance, – PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, crores of farmers have been given Rs. 2.16 lakh crore directly into their bank accounts, short-term loans amounting to Rs 18 lakh crore extended through Kisan Credit Card (KCC) and many concrete steps like the Rs.1,00,000 crore Agri Fund have been taken under the leadership of the Prime Minister. Prime Minister Shri Modi affirms that if the village grows, the country will grow and if the financial condition of the farmers improves, then the economic condition of the entire country will improve. PM Shri Modi and CM Shri Chouhan are working with dedication in the country and the state respectively towards this effort, which is benefiting everyone. Appreciating the Chief Minister Shri Chouhan, Shri Tomar said that he has steered Madhya Pradesh out of the category of BIMARU states and has taken it forward on the path of development. Today, the Central and State governments are working together for the development of the state, of which this agricultural fair-exhibition is an illustration.

Shri Tomar said that this is not just a farmers’ conclave, but a big training camp, in which during the three days, training will be imparted in different sessions towards advanced farming, use of technology in farming, shifting towards remunerative crops, use of biofertilizer and drone technology, improving the cultivation of mustard, produce paddy with less water, increase the crops of pulses and oilseeds, expand the area of ​​horticulture etc. There will be around 40 sessions in three days. An exhibition has also been put up here, in which all the tools and implements used in farming, from small to large, are displayed. Shri Tomar expressed the hope that the training here will benefit the farmers immensely and they will be able to convert their farming into advanced farming.

During the programme, Madhya Pradesh Minister of State and in-charge of Morena district, Shri Bharat Singh Kushwaha also addressed. Union Agriculture Secretary Shri Manoj Ahuja delivered the welcome address. On this occasion, Kanya Pujan was performed and under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, policies were handed over to the farmer beneficiaries under the “Meri Policy-Mere Haath” campaign. Also, women of Self Help Groups were given cheques of Rs 2 crore bank loans and Certificate of Incorporation was presented to Farmer Producer Company, – Porsa Crop.

Many public representatives including Member of Parliament, Shri Vivek Narayan Shejwalkar were present on the occasion.