On July 14, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced that the Bhoochetana scheme for improving soil health will be reintroduced. Talking to participants at the Agriculture and Horticulture Ministers Meeting in Bengaluru, Bommai told that the Bhoochetana scheme was launched in 2009 by then-Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa.
According to him, such a plan was now necessary to ensure effective fertiliser and nutrient usage. It would focus on protecting soil health and improving crop output through correct nutrient and fertiliser management.
He emphasized the importance of combining traditional farming practices with modern farming methods in order to achieve better results. “While traditional farming contributes to soil health and environmental protection, modern methods go a long way in improving yields,” he noted.
Bommai expressed concern that, farmers’ conditions had not improved despite attempts to secure the nation’s food security. In order to double farmers’ incomes, he claimed, secondary agriculture, which emphasises exploiting land for multiple uses, was the only option. He underlined the significance of improving farmers’ financial circumstances.
Need to focus on a comprehensive method of secondary agriculture
He noted that Karnataka has already set up a secondary agriculture department and said it was necessary to concentrate on a thorough approach to secondary agriculture. He stated that efforts were being made in Karnataka to integrate various agricultural, horticultural, and veterinary sciences universities through a common platform for proper research coordination.
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar emphasized the importance of digitizing various agricultural practices and increasing the number of FPOs (farmers’ producers’ organizations) to assist farmers.
Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Health, Chemicals, and Fertilizers, expressed concern that the current level of subsidy provided by the Union government to various fertilizer manufacturing companies was equivalent to the annual budget size of a state such as Karnataka.
