Efforts on to bring Chhindwara on world map for maize production: CM

Staff Reporter :

INAUGURATING two-day Corn Festival-2019 in Chhindwara, Chief Minister Kamal Nath said that efforts will be made to get Chhindwara recognised at international level in the field of maize production. He said that Chhindwara district has achieved top best position not only in the State but in the country in maize production after soyabean. Kamal Nath said that the entire economy of the country depends on agriculture. Therefore, there is a need to strengthen agriculture sector and to increase purchasing power of farmers. Chief Minister Kamal Nath said that with tireless efforts, after 1979 we implemented Oil Seed Mission of the Union Government to increase soyabean production in Chhindwara district.

He said that farmers by bringing a revolution in soybean have made Chhindwara district attains top position among the top soybean producing district not only in the state but also in the country. He said that in the past, we motivated farmers to take maize crop instead of soyabean because they were not getting reasonable rates and were getting low production because of soyabean diseases and other reasons.

The farmers of the district accepted option of maize farming. Kamal Nath said that with industrial revolution in Chhindwara district, our dream of securing best position in maize production in the field of agriculture has come true. Kamal Nath stated that agriculture and horticulture colleges and universities are being opened in the State, including Chhindwara at a fast pace, so that future generations and youth do not migrate to cities and to enable them to bring a revolution in the field of farming by connecting themselves with modern techniques and methods. The Chief Minister said that earlier, only poor farmers with dhoti and pyjama were seen in the fields. Our dream is to see rich farmers in jeans and T-shirts doing farming. He said future of maize farming in the country is bright. Kamal Nath said that agricultural production was a challenge 10 years ago.

Now, it is a challenge to protect immense production generated by hard work of farmers. He said that the Government is continuously making efforts to ensure reasonable rates to farmers and to make agriculture main economic activity in rural areas. Member of Parliament Nakul Nath said that with efforts of the Chief Minister, Chhindwara is getting recognition in the name of Corn City in the entire world. He mentioned that in times to come, Chhindwara Corn Festival will be a grand event. Nakul Nath said that now Chhindawra will also be made leading district in education and medical sector. Minister for Farmers Welfare and Agriculture Development Sachin Yadav said that efforts are being made so that farmers could get high quality fertiliser, seeds and other agricultural inputs easily and to ensure reasonable rates to them. He said that the Government has started work to make Madhya Pradesh an organic state. In this direction, 1,000 Gaushalas are being set up under the first phase.

In the coming years, efforts will be made to establish Gaushala at each gram panchayat level. Minister for Public Health Engineering Sukhdev Panse said that efforts will be made to establish Chhindwara as hub of the State in maize production. Minister for Tribal Affairs Omkar Singh Markam also addressed the programme. At the outset of the programme, Chief Minister Kamal Nath inaugurated the fair at Cultural Pavilion of Corn Festival. As many as 4,674 school students of Chhindwara district have set a world record by creating 3 lakh paintings in a day.

The South Asia In-Charge of Golden Book of World Record Alok Kumar presented the world record certificate to the Chief Minister in the programme. The Chief Minister released a calendar prepared by best 12 paintings, selected in the painting competition. Farm Eco App launched: Chief Minister Kamal Nath launched a farm eco app prepared by Pradeep Shende, a student of IIT Mumbai and a resident of Chhindwara. Free information regarding Government schemes, advices of agriculture scientists, seeds, pesticides, fertilser, transportation of produces, warehouses for storing produces availability of modern agriculture equipments on hire and contract farming etc will be available to the farmers on this app conveniently. MLAs Sarva Kamlesh Pratap Shah, Surjeet Singh Chowdhary, Nilesh Uikey, Vijay Chourey, Sohan Valmik and Sunil Uikey, former President of Jila Panchayat Vishwanath Okte, former President of Bar Association Ganga Prasad Tiwari, other public representatives and maize producing farmers were present in large numbers.