Gandhinagar, Tuesday: Chief Minister Narendra Modi today congratulated farmers of the state and agriculture department for winning central government’s Krishi Commendation Award for excellent food grain production. In the year 2010-11 Gujarat has produced record 100.07 lakh tones of food grain.
Giving outlines of the award today in a meeting of state cabinet, headed by the Chief Minister, State Agriculture Minister Babubhai Bokhariya informed that the state has bagged the Krishi Commendation Award from the President Dr. Pranab Mukharjee and Union Agriculture Minister Mr. Sharad Pawar.
Krishi Karman and Krishi Commendation Award, 2011-12 have been presented to the states for exemplary food grain production and the Gujarat bagged Krishi Commendation Award of Rs. 25 lakh among seven award categories.
It is worth noting that Gujarat chiefly cultivates commercial and cash crops. During last 10 years, the Chief Minister has encouraged Krishi Mahotsav and water conversation mission, which enabled the state to cultivate almost same quantity of production in all seasons.
In the last 10 years, productivity of the state has increased by 75 % to 1,955 Kg. per hectare from 1,112 Kg. per hectare in 2001. Total agriculture production of the state jumped to 92.56 lakh. MT in 47.34 lakh hectare in 2011-12 from 42.92 lakh tone in 38.59 lakh hectare, which shows an increase of 115%. Gujarat has continuously managed an agricultural growth rate of over 10%.
Sources: Gujarat Information Bureau
