Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has completely transformed the agricultural landscape of Madhya Pradesh in the past 10 years. In order to boost the agricultural sector, Chouhan has launched an elaborate plan for empowering farmers. Interest-free loans, a special bonus to wheat and rice growers, waiving of electricity bills and ensuring regular water supply for irrigation have been some of the benefits extended to farmers. The state government is also committed to supplying uninterrupted power to farmers.
Over 36 lakh hectares of land have been covered by the state irrigation programme. A special policy has been adopted for safeguarding fishermen. Over 70,000 Kisan Credit cards have been distributed.
According to the Vision Document 2018, agricultural production and productivity levels will be enhanced to ensure high growth rates. This will be achieved through better soil health management, strengthening the network for timely availability of inputs, modernising the extension services and by widespread small farm mechanisation.
A campaign would be conducted to issue soil health card to every farmer and test soil of every field in the state. ‘Mitti Bachao-Kisan Bachao Abhiyan’ would be conducted from World Soil Health Day on 5 December 2015 till 12 December. During the campaign, soil health cards will be distributed to farmers at state and district level programmes. Agriculture Production Commissioner P.C. Meena and Dr. Rajesh Rajora, principal secretary, Farmers’ Welfare and Agriculture Development, reviewed preparations and strategy for the campaign starting from 5 December at a meeting in Bhopal on 17 November 2015.
A meeting chaired by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on 20 October 2015 decided to launch the ‘Mitti Bachao-Kisan Bachao Abhiyan’ to increase soil fertility and adding nutrients to arable land. The meeting was informed that a target has been set to obtain 8 lakh samples of soil for testing. For this, a soil testing laboratory will be set up at every development block.