Nagpur, Sep 26 Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday said the Union government will provide all possible support to the farmers affected by drought and floods in various states.
Speaking to PTI Videos here, he said his ministry was in constant contact with the Maharashtra government regarding the drought situation. The Maharashtra government earlier in the day declared drought in 74 per cent of the state.
Contingency plans for the affected districts were ready, Chouhan said.
“We will provide every possible support to the farmers in coordination with the state government,” he said.
While some states in the country were dealing with floods, others have drought, the Union Agriculture Minister noted, adding, “We are witnessing adverse effects of climate change and we have to deal with them.
“We are doing two kinds of things. First, for areas facing drought, our institutes like ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) and other concerned institutions have prepared contingency plans for each district. We have shared those with the state governments and informed the districts. If rainfall is low, the plans tell farmers which crops can be grown in a shorter time, which crops require less water, and what measures should be taken,” Chouhan said.
The ministry has also set up seed banks, he said. “If one crop fails, we have prepared alternatives for the next crop and made interim arrangements. We have also issued advisories to state governments,” he said.
As to the flood-affected areas, he said farmers need not worry. “The situation is serious, but we will get through it,” he said.
(PTI News)
