Budget: FM proposes focus on Green Revolution

New Delhi: An allocation of Rs. 1000 crore has been proposed in the Union Budget 2013-14 to continue support to the new green revolution in Eastern States like Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal to increase the rice production.

An outlay of Rs. 500 crore is proposed for starting a programme of crop diversification that would promote technological innovation and encourage farmers to choose crop alternatives in the original green revolution States as these States are facing the problem of stagnating yields and over-exploitation of water resources.

Under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, an outlay of Rs. 9954 crore and Rs. 2250 crore have been proposed for mobilizing higher investment in agriculture and the National Food Security Mission respectively.

General Budget 2013-14 presented by Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram in Lok Sabha on Thursday, has focused on augmentation of Green Revolution by proposing various measures like continuing support to Green Revolution in Eastern India, Crop Diversification in original green revolution States, bridging yield gaps between investment in agriculture and National Food Security Mission, Integrated Watershed Programme, pilot programme on Nutri-Farms, establishing National Institute of Biotic Stress Management and a pilot scheme to replant and rejuvenate coconut gardens.

To provide relief to small and marginal farmers especially in drought prone and ecologically-stressed regions, the allocation for the Integrated Watershed Programme has been increased to Rs. 5387 crore from Rs. 3050 crore.

For addressing the issues of plant protection, the National Institute of Biotic Stress Management will be established at Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

The Indian Institute of Agricultural Bio-technology will be established at Ranchi, Jharkhand as a center of excellence in agricultural bio-technology.

An additional sum of Rs. 75 crore has been provided for a pilot scheme to replant and rejuvenate coconut gardens in the State of Kerala and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.