Uttarakhand: Chief Minister launches e-Rupee system and four new agricultural policies, state’s flower and honey policy will be ready soon

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday launched the “e-Rupi” system based on modern technology at the Secretariat. On this occasion, while launching four ambitious agricultural policies (Kiwi Policy, Dragon Fruit, Apple Post-Harvest Harvesting Scheme and Millet Mission) to give a new direction to the agricultural system of the state, he said that the government will soon prepare a flower and honey policy in the state.

Addressing the program, the Chief Minister said that the e-Rupi system is a new initiative for the food producers of the state. The “e-Rupi system” will become a new medium of transparent, fast and middleman-free digital payment for farmers. Under this system, the subsidy amount received by the farmers in the pilot projects will be sent directly to their mobile through e-voucher (SMS or QR code), which they will be able to use to buy fertilizers, seeds, medicines etc. from authorized centers or vendors.

For the successful implementation of the e-Rupi system, the Chief Minister directed the officials to organize training programs in every village and make the farmers aware, so that they can take proper advantage of this technology. The objective of all these initiatives is to strengthen agriculture and employment in the hilly and plain areas of the state, so that problems like migration can also be effectively controlled. These schemes will prove to be a milestone in making Uttarakhand a self-reliant, strong and leading agricultural state.

Launching four new agricultural policies, the Chief Minister said that all these schemes will promote agricultural diversity of the state and will become the basis for increasing the income of farmers.

On this occasion, Agriculture Minister Ganesh Joshi said that to promote apple production, a target of ultra-intensive horticulture has been set in 5,000 hectares by 2030-31. A scheme of ₹ 144.55 crore has been launched for apple storage and grading, in which CA storage and sorting-grading units will be given subsidy up to 50-70%. Agriculture Minister Joshi said that under the Millet Policy, a scheme of ₹134.893 crore has been launched to cover 70,000 hectares of area by 2030-31. In this, farmers will also be given incentives on seed sowing and produce purchase. Also, these policies will strengthen the economy of the farmers of the state and give national recognition to the products of Uttarakhand.

On this occasion, Vice President Tea Development Advisory Council Maheshwar Singh Mehra, Vice President Uttarakhand Organic Agriculture Bhupesh Upadhyay, Vice President of Herb Advisory Committee Balbir Dhuniyal, Vice President of State Medicinal Plant Board Pratap Singh Panwar, Vice President of Herb Committee Bhuvan Vikram Dabral, Secretary Dr. SN Pandey, Director General Agriculture Ranveer Singh Chauhan, Director ITDA Gaurav Kumar and farmers from various districts were present.

Highlights of Kiwi Policy

• Total cost Rs 894 crore
• Target of kiwi production on 3500 hectares of land in 6 years
• Target of annual kiwi production of about 14 thousand metric tons
• 9 thousand farmers will get direct benefit
• Highlights of Dragon Fruit Policy
• Total cost Rs 15 crore
• Production of dragon fruit on 228 acres of land
• Target of production of 350 metric tons
• Benefits to small and medium farmers
• Post-harvest management scheme for apples
• Cost of Rs 144.55 crore
• Covering 5,000 hectares of area with very dense horticulture
• Establishment of 22 CA storage units and sorting-grading units
• 50 percent subsidy to individual farmers and 70 percent subsidy to farmer groups.

Millet Policy

• Cost of Rs 135 crore
• Bringing 70 thousand hectares of area under millet production in 68 development blocks in two phases, up to 80 percent subsidy on investment.
• Incentive of Rs 4000 per hectare on row sowing and Rs 2000 on other methods.
• An additional incentive of Rs 300 per quintal to farmers on purchase.