Bhopal, September 12 (Pervez Bari): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has been honoured with the Policy Leadership Award by the Indian Agriculture and Food Council.
It may be mentioned that the state was honoured four times with Krashi Karman Award. Award was received by the Minister for Farmers Welfare and Agriculture Development Gourishankar Bisen on behalf of the Chief Minister Chouhan.
The 9th Global Agriculture Leadership Award programme was organized by the Indian agriculture and food council to award the remarkable works carried out in the field of agriculture. Governors of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh Kaptan Singh Solanki and Ram Naik presented the award in the programme. Deputy Speaker of Rajya Sabha P.J. Kurian, Chairman of Indian Agriculture Council Khan and Director General were present on the occasion.
Madhya Pradesh has achieved a remarkable success in last ten years in agriculture sector. It registered 24.94 per cent growth in the year 2014-15 in Agriculture and its allied sectors. It was the highest growth rate recorded so far in the world. Also 110 per cent increase in agriculture production and 124 per cent increase in total food grain production registered. In the year 2004-05, total food grain production was 1.43 crore metric tonnes, which increased up to 3.21 crore metric tonnes in the year 2014-15.
Achieving 12 per cent annual growth in agriculture sector by the state is an unprecedented incidence in the country. Pulses production was 33.51 lakh metric tonne in 2004-05 and that reached to 47.63 lakh metric tonne in the year 2014-15. It is 42.14 per cent increase registered in the decade. The state produces 28 per cent of total production of pulses in the country. Availability of food grain per person has now been 61 gram per person per day. The agriculture area has increased by 34 lakh hectare and now total area is 2.23 crore hectare.
Unprecedented records have been set in crop sowing in the state. The total sowing area of soybean was 45.94 lakh hectare in kharif-2004, which increased up to 61.34 lakh hectare in the year 2013. The area of paddy sowing was 16.96 lakh hectare in 2004 and it was 19.30 lakh hectare in 2013. Other crops of kharif season are being sown in wider area as compared to the area of 2004. In rabi crop season, there has been increase in sowing area in last ten years. Wheat sowing area was 42 lakh hectare in the year 2004, which reached up to 59.76 lakh hectare in 2013-14. Gram was sowed in 26.93 lakh hectare area in 2004, which was sowed in 31.60 lakh hectare agriculture area in 2013-14. As per data recorded in the year rabi season of 2013-14, total production of wheat was 155.23 lakh metric tonne, which was 81.96 lakh metric tonne more than the production of the year 2004-05 (73.27 lakh metric tonne). So for more than the double production was recorded in wheat production in last ten years. The production of paddy was 53.61 lakh metric tonne in kharif 2013, which is 40.52 lakh metric tonne more than the production of 13.09 lakh metric tonne of the year 2004-05. This is four time increase in the production.
Madhya Pradesh is now on the top in production of many crops thanks to constant efforts for increasing the production and earning of farmers. For example, the state is the first in agriculture growth rate, bio farming, total production of pulse and oil seeds, certified seed production, production of gram-soybean, establishment of private custom hiring centre, production of garlic-guava, medicinal and coriander, peas and onion, and second in the total food grain production, wheat production, mustard production, lentil production. Madhya Pradesh got the second rank in wheat production from fourth position in wheat production, seventh in paddy from 14th place and fifth place from sixth place in corn production. (pervezbari@yahoo.co.in)