On July 14 and 15, the Union government will conduct a meeting of all state agricultural ministers for the first time. The two-day gathering will focus on attempts to double farmers' income and share best practices across states.
Up to 30 state agricultural ministers and Union Agriculture Ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Shobha kharandlaje, will attend the meeting.
The event, which is being organized by the Union Ministry for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, will also feature a number of conversations on other farming-related topics. It was debated whether to host the meeting in Rajasthan or Karnataka, according to state agriculture minister BC Patil, but the ministry ultimately decided on Karnataka because the state had introduced a number of unique programs, such as the Vidyanidhi plan for farmers' children and others.
Patil added that they are also focusing on increasing farmers’ income, which has been given priority by the Union as well as state governments.
In Karnataka, the government has actually established a directorate that is solely responsible for raising the income of farmers. Best practices are also used in other states, and these will be discussed during the meeting. He also shares ideas that will help the entire farming industry.
According to sources in the Agriculture Department, the Union government's budget for agriculture has grown five to six times during the last eight years. The financial allotment has also been raised by the state government.
The sources stated that "Union Ministers would examine the execution of different Central programs linked to farmers and agriculture at the meeting." Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, the union Jal Shakti minister, held a review meeting with all water resources ministers and officials in Bengaluru in March of this year.
