Guide farmers to adopt crop diversification to save Punjab: CM
Asserts that the onus to guide farmers in adopting sustainable agriculture practices lies on scientists.
Afghanistan will adopt the crop diversification model from the hill state of Himachal Pradesh.
The Afghanistan functionaries visited Shimla, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Mandi in HP to learn from the experiences of the Government of HP on policy development, capacity development and implementation of crop diversification in collaboration with Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) initiatives last month.
The JICA has been supporting the state of HP for more than 10 years for crop diversification. An official release said in line with the master plan developed under the JICA’s Development Study (2007-2009), the agency has been implementing Technical Co-operation (TC) Projects with experts on sites (2011-2016 for Phase 1 and 2017-2022 for Phase 2) and a loan project simultaneously. The release said the loan project entails development of 210 minor irrigation facilities, farm roads and promotion of vegetable cultivation across 5 districts of HP.
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The JICA initiatives have increased the income of farmers in Himachal, the release claimed.
“The Himachal government, with maximum utilisation of JICA’s co-operation prepared the strategic long-term plan, namely the master plan backed by the scientific analysis, proper diagnosis proper diagnosis of the current situation and issues. The government of Himachal has closely communicated with farmers, increased and maintained their motivation, and created their strong ownership. Lastly the projects have supported market-oriented approach in order to materialise real increase of farmers’ income,” said Takema Sakamoto, Chief Representative, JICA India Office.
He said he was extending the functionaries from the Government of Afghanistan, as selected personnel, to deepen understandings of good practices and lessons learnt under the projects in HP and to consider how to promote similar initiatives in the context of Afghanistan.
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