The Union government is considering setting up Krishi Clinics at the village level, following farmers’ suggestions for a mechanism to tackle crop pests and diseases, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said after a review meeting on the recently concluded Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan (VKSA).
Briefing the media, Chouhan said several suggestions have been received from farmers and they are being examined by agriculture scientists of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). He cited an instance when a farmer asked for suitable varieties of tomato which can be sun-dried and kept for a long time without using cold storage.
In Madhya Pradesh, Chouhan’s home State, ICAR has identified challenges that require policy changes or improved implementation. These include farmers’ concerns over low mandi prices for soyabean, rising input costs and poor-quality agro-chemicals. Farmers have also demanded affordable hybrid rice seeds, which are becoming costlier each year, and better market access to public sector vegetable crop hybrids.
