Chandigarh, 4 January 2025: Haryana Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shyam Singh Rana advocated for subsidies on sugarcane sowing and harvesting machines to encourage sugarcane cultivation over paddy, citing water conservation benefits.
Rana presented this proposal during a pre-budget consultation on agriculture and horticulture organized by Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, attended via video conference by state agriculture ministers.
“Promoting sugarcane can address both agricultural productivity and water conservation. Subsidized machines will ease sowing and harvesting, encouraging farmers to transition from paddy to sugarcane,” Rana stated.
He proposed creating small horticulture clusters of 40 to 50 hectares and introducing schemes to install barbed wire fences to protect crops from damage.
Besides, Rana recommended establishing markets for natural farming produce and setting up crop testing labs to verify the authenticity of naturally farmed products.
Haryana’s commitment to sustainable farming remains strong, with Rana expressing gratitude for the National Mission on Natural Farming. He called the mission a “milestone in improving food quality” and noted Haryana’s leadership in the Green Revolution and its readiness to excel in natural farming.
Rana also addressed crop residue burning, pointing to Haryana’s progress in reducing field fires by 40% this year, limiting incidents to fewer than 700. “We need greater financial support under this scheme from the central government to eliminate crop fires completely,” he urged.
He accentuated Haryana’s ‘Bhavantar Bharpay Yojana,’ initiated in 2018, which covers 21 horticultural crops, providing stability and support to farmers facing market price fluctuations.
The minister underlined that holistic solutions and sustained funding are critical to addressing farmers’ challenges and advancing sustainable agriculture practices across the state.
