On January 19, 2021, the state government of Gujarat is all set for the formation of ‘Mukhyamantri Bagayat Vikas Mission’ or ‘Horticulture Development Mission’ to accelerate agriculture, horticulture and promote farming of herbal plants in the state. It aims to double the income of farmers engaged in medicinal and horticulture farming
- It was announced by Gujarat’s Chief Minister (CM) Vijay Rupani during a press conference in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
- The mission will also create employment opportunities along with increase in the export of such products.
Key Features of Scheme:
–Under this mission, the waste land of the government (around 20000 hectare) will be given on 30-year lease for farming of horticulture and medicinal crops.
–A tax on land conversion will be waived off.
–Lease amount applicable will be Rs 100 to Rs 500 per year per acre during 6th to 30th year. Lease holders will be able to set up solar panel, windmills to generate energy for their own use, but will not be allowed to sell it.
–The first phase will cover five districts namely Kutch, Surendrangar, Patan, Banaskantha and Sabarkantha.
— If land is returned before the end of the lease period, no compensation will be payable.
–Final decision on land allotment will be taken by a high power committee chaired by the CM.
Initiatives by Gujarat Government for Agriculture Development
Krishi Mahotsav, provided Soil Health Cards, initiated Sujalam Sufalam Abhiyan, implemented drip irrigation, started 7 Steps of Farmer Welfare, Kisan Suryoday Yojana .
Additional Info:
–Gujarat has contributed 9.20% to India’s fruit and vegetable production in 2019-20. 4.46 lakh hectares of land was utilised for sowing fruits with a total production of 92.61 lakh metric ton.
–There has been an increase of 20 thousand hectares of cultivable land in the state. Regions of North Gujarat and Kutch have emerged as a hub for cultivating pomegranate, guava, dates, papaya etc.
Recent Related News:
- The 1st Lithium refinery of India is to be set up in Gujarat. It will process Lithium ore to produce battery-grade material. More than Rs 1,000 crore will be invested by Manikaran Power Limited (MPL) to set up this refinery. MPL will import Lithium ore from Australia and process it in Gujarat.
- On December 13, 2020, Gujarat became the first state in the country that has approved a system to modernize fire safety certification process.
About Gujarat:
–Gujarat is the state with longest coastline in India
–World’s tallest statue, Statue of Unity is located in Gujarat
–Kandla port, renamed as Deendayal Port Trust is a Special Economic Zone(SEZ)
–National Parks: Gir National Park, Velavadar Blackbuck National Park, Vansda National Park, Marine National Park.
