Gujarat Budget 2024: New Agri colleges in Morbi & Kutch; Agri Engineering college at Khedbrahma
February 02, 2024
Gandhinagar: The annual budget for the financial year 2024-25 was presented in the Gujarat Assembly today. Finance Minister Kanubhai Desai, in his budget speech, announced a total provision of ₹22,194 crore for the Agriculture, Farmers Welfare, and Cooperation Department. In a major announcement, two new Agricultural colleges will come up in Morbi and Kachchh, along with another agricultural engineering college at Khedbrahma.
The government has also made allocations for the development of fishing ports in Madhvad, Navabandar, Veraval-2, Mangrol-3, along with revamp work at existing fishing ports and fish landing centers in the state.
There are an estimated 9 lakh farmers engaged in natural farming in the state, and to increase the scope of natural farming, the government has allocated around Rs. 168 crores to the ‘Gujarat Natural Farming Development Board.’
Also to promote education and research in the field of Animal Husbandry, over Rs. 300 crore has been allocated to Kamdhenu University in Gandhinagar.
Here is the list of allocations in the agriculture sector:
| Total provision of ₹22,194 crore for Agriculture, Farmers Welfare and Cooperation Department |
| Government is committed to increase productivity and value addition of crops for the prosperity of Annadata (Farmers). Promotion of precision farming with the use of modern technology in agriculture is need of the hour. To achieve this, Government has implemented schemes to provide training and assistance farmers and women in use of drones in agriculture. In agricultural research sector Kharek (Date) of Kachchh has received the ‘G.I.’ Tag after Kesar Mango and Bhalia Wheat. Government aims to increase income of farmers through intensive efforts for use of Advanced Technology in Agriculture and Allied activities like Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Agro-Processing and Agro-Marketing. |
| Crop Farming System |
| · A provision of ₹701 crore to provide assistance for purchase of tractor and different farm equipment for agricultural mechanization. |
| · A provision of ₹350 crore to provide assistance for Solar Fencing to the farmers to make barbed wire fencing around their farms, to prevent damage to the crops by wild animals. |
| · A provision of ₹218 crore under the ‘National Agricultural Development Scheme’. |
| · A provision of ₹200 crore to provide assistance to agro and food processing units. |
| · A provision of ₹77 crore in ‘Mukhya Mantri Pak Sangrah Structure Yojana’. |
| · A provision of ₹81 crore under the Insurance Protection Scheme to tenure holder Farmers in case of accidental death. |
| · A provision of ₹80 crore for increasing Seed Replacement Rate (SRR) with the purpose of providing assistance in distribution of High Yielding Certified Variety seeds. |
| · A provision of ₹56 crore to promote Advanced Drone Technology (Krishi-Viman) in agriculture sector and increase use of Nano-Urea as an alternative to Granular Urea to maintain soil health. |
| · A provision of ₹35 crore for seed assistance, promotion and canvassing etc. to motivate farmers of Gujarat state to increase cultivation area for the millets and increase their income through value addition. |
| Natural Farming |
| · Total provision of ₹168 crore for ‘Gujarat Natural Farming Development Board’ and various schemes to increase the scope of Natural Farming. |
| · A provision of ₹199 crore for an assistance to the farmers who adopt natural farming for up-keep of indigenous cow. |
| Horticulture |
| · A provision of ₹294 crore for planting, various farm works and storage of horticulture crops under ‘Integrated Horticulture Development Programme’. |
| · A provision of ₹160 crore to promote new horticultural crops and create infrastructure facilities for post-harvest management. |
| · A provision of ₹65 crore to create infrastructure facilities for value addition and storage of horticultural produce. |
| · A provision of ₹18 crore for certified seeds of spice crops, increasing productivity in Papaya crop and restructuring old fruit orchards. |
| · A provision of ₹15 crore for increasing the production capacity of Nurseries of Horticulture Department. |
| · A provision of ₹15 crore for setting up 5 new Centres of Excellence (CoE) for horticultural crops. |
| · A provision of ₹6 crore under the scheme of providing bee hives and colonies to bee-keepers in Tribal Areas. |
| Agricultural Universities |
| · New Agricultural colleges at Morbi and Kachchh and agriculture engineering college at Khedbrahma will be started with a view to intensify Agricultural Research and Education Programs under the State Agricultural Universities. A provision of ₹930 crore has been made for infrastructure facilities, administration and research for agricultural universities. |
| · A provision of ₹324 crore for Kamdhenu University for Education and Research in the field of Animal Husbandry for Kamdhenu University. |
| Animal Husbandry |
| · A provision of ₹425 crore under ‘Mukhya Mantri Gaumata Poshan Yojana’. |
| · A provision of ₹110 crore for Mobile Animal Clinics and Karuna Animal Ambulance services. |
| · A provision of ₹62 crore to provide assistance to start dairy farms of milch cattle to generate self-employment at village level. |
| · A provision of ₹54 crore for fodder assistance scheme to provide assistance to cattle-keepers for pregnancy and delivery of cattle. |
| · A provision of ₹43 crore for “Mukhya Mantri Nihshulka Pashu Sarvar Yojana” to provide free treatment at Government Animal Treatment Institutions. |
| · A provision of ₹23 crore for Livestock Insurance Premium Assistance. |
| · A provision of ₹11 crore for ‘Padi-Vachhardi Uchher Yojana’ (Calf Rearing Scheme) for District Cooperative Milk Producers Unions. |
| · A provision of ₹10 crore to provide assistance for developing various infrastructure facilities by Milk Producers Cooperative Societies of Kachchh and Saurashtra region. |
| Fisheries |
| · A provision of ₹627 crore for development of fishing ports namely Madhvad, Navabandar, Veraval-2, Mangrol-3 and modernization, up-gradation and ancillary works like dredging for existing fishing ports and fish landing centres of the state. |
| · A provision of total ₹463 crore for ‘High Speed Diesel VAT Relief Scheme’ to Fishermen. |
| · A provision of ₹134 crore for the development of Fisheries in Marine, Inland and brackish water. |
| Co-Operation |
| · Short Term Crop Credit up to ₹3 lakh is provided to the farmers by banks through ‘Kisan Credit Card’ (KCC). A provision of ₹1,140 crore for interest relief at the rate of 4% on this loan amount has been made. |
| · A provision of ₹75 crore to provide 4% interest relief for short term loans up to ₹2 lakh to cattle-keeper and fishermen. |
| · A provision of ₹46 crore for computerisation of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies. |
| · A provision of ₹23 crore to provide assistance to Market Committees for development of infrastructure facilities under ‘Kisan Kalpa-Vriksha Yojana’. |
| · A provision of ₹12 crore to provide assistance for setting up processing units in Market Committees. |
| · A provision of ₹8 crore under various schemes to strengthen cooperative sugar sector. |
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