‘Odisha needs to incorporate reforms to double farmers’ income’

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government should take steps to incorporate farmer-friendly reforms such as establishment of suitable agriculture market and implement land lease norms necessary to double income of peasants in the State by 2022, said NITI Aayog member Ramesh Chand on the sidelines of a seminar at the Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) here on Wednesday.

Speaking on the topic ‘State of Agriculture: Challenges and Prospects’, Chand said, “Quick climatic changes and frequent natural disasters are the biggest threats to farmers these days. Therefore, there is an urgent need for improvement in marketplace condition to facilitate better price for their agricultural produce.”

Though minimum support price has been fixed for some crops, the State government needs to decide on the MSP for other major crops as well to double the income of farmers in next five-six years, he pointed out.

Chand also emphasised that farmers should avail facilities provided under various Centrally-sponsored schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna (PMFBY) and Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojna (PMKSY).