- Implementation of Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel’s announcement: Lac production given the status of agriculture
- More than 50 thousand forest dweller farmers of the state to be benefitted
- Lac farming to become a profitable practice, production to get boosted as well
Raipur (the states. news)
As
per the announcement of Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel, lac production has
been given the status of agriculture practice in Chhattisgarh. State Government
has issued the order to provide benefits of short-term agriculture loan and
interest subsidy to lac producing farmers and farmers groups as well, based on
their agricultural crops.
The order issued in the context by Joint
Secretary, Department of Agricultural Development, Farmers Welfare and
Biotechnology, states that farmers or farmers groups should be provided short
term agricultural loan at the prescribed debt scale for production and primary
processing of lac crops such as safflower, palash, plum, etc.. They will also
be given interest subsidy on short-term agricultural credit as per the rules.
It is
noteworthy that there are immense possibilities of lac cultivation in
Chhattisgarh state. Lac has traditionally been cultivated by the farmers on
safflower, palash and plum trees. But due to lack of lac production in a
systematic and modern way, the farmers do not get the expected benefits in lieu
of cost. Hence, Forest Department has sent a proposal to Chief Minister Mr.
Bhupesh Baghel, suggesting that the lac farming should be given the status of
agricultural practice, so as to make it a profitable practice for the farmers
and to also provide them the facilities of loans and interest subsidies. To
which, Chief Minister has given his consent.
About 50 thousand farmers in
Chhattisgarh will get directly benefitted from this important decision of state
government. The state currently produces 4500 tonnes of lac. Tribal and forest
dwellers are engaged in large scale cultivation of lac, and there are good
prospects for its cultivation in the state. As result of this decision taken by
state government, the facility of short-term agricultural loans to farmers will
further boost the cultivation and productionof lac. In addition, the production
of lac in the state will increase up to 10 thousand tons. (media
saheb.com)