Haryana Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Sh. Shyam Singh Rana has launched an important initiative to increase farmers’ income and make them technically stronger. The government has decided to send progressive farmers from every district of the state on ‘Exposure Visits’.
The main aim of this initiative is to connect Haryana farmers directly with modern farming techniques, advanced methods and new markets being adopted in different parts of the country, so that they can bring positive changes in traditional farming practices. Thousands of farmers in the state will get an opportunity to learn about agricultural reforms at the national level.
Sh. Shyam Singh Rana said that the Chief Minister, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini, who has always worked in the interest of farmers, had announced in his Budget speech that farmers would be sent on exposure visits. The process to implement this announcement has now started.
He said that during these agricultural visits, Haryana farmers will get an opportunity to visit agriculture-focused states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana. These states have been selected because of their achievements in different areas of farming.
For example, farmers will study micro-irrigation techniques in Gujarat, grape and pomegranate farming in Maharashtra, and new seed production techniques in Telangana. The government believes that by observing the successful farming models in other states, Haryana farmers will also be encouraged to grow new crops suitable for their soil and climate conditions.
The Agriculture Minister further said that a major focus of these exposure visits will be on direct market linkage. Farmers will be taught how to sell their produce directly in the market instead of depending on middlemen, so they can get better prices for their crops.
They will also meet farmer groups in other states who are grading, packaging and branding their produce before selling directly to consumers and large retailers. He said this will not only increase the confidence of farmers but also encourage them to see farming as a business.
The long-term goal of the scheme is to create ‘Master Trainers’ in the state. After returning from these visits with new knowledge and experience, the farmers will guide other farmers in their villages and districts. Shyam Singh Rana said that practical knowledge about modern farming, water conservation and natural farming will bring revolutionary changes in Haryana’s agriculture sector, strengthen the rural economy and improve the standard of living of farmers.