New Delhi, Jul 13

Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, will undertake a two-day visit to West Bengal, during which he will hold high-level discussions with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on agriculture, rural infrastructure and farmers’ welfare initiatives.

The visit will focus on strengthening coordination between the Centre and the State for effective implementation of key government schemes and accelerating growth in the agriculture and rural development sectors.

During the visit Chouhan is slated to meet the chief minister. The discussions are expected to focus on agriculture development, farmers’ welfare schemes, rural roads, housing, employment generation and other key issues concerning rural areas.

A high-level review meeting will be held on July 14 at the New Secretariat Building in Kolkata, which will be attended by the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, senior officials of various State departments and representatives from the Government of India.

The union Minister will be accompanied by senior officials from the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Ministry of Rural Development and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

During the meeting, the Centre will review the progress of several flagship programmes, including the PM-KISAN scheme, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana, Minimum Support Price (MSP) operations, Viksit Bharat–GRAM G initiative, rural roads and housing schemes, along with funds allocated to Panchayati Raj Institutions.

The discussions will also include a roadmap for boosting agricultural productivity, improving rural infrastructure and enhancing the livelihood opportunities of farmers in West Bengal.

Later in the day, Chouhan will visit the ICAR–Central Research Institute for Jute and Allied Fibres (ICAR-CRIJAF) at Barrackpore, where he will interact with jute farmers, agricultural scientists and women members of Self-Help Groups.

During his interaction with farmers, the Minister will take feedback on issues related to jute cultivation, including retting facilities, water availability, pest and disease management, production costs and market challenges. The discussions will also focus on improving farmers’ participation in the jute value chain and increasing their income.
Scientists from ICAR-CRIJAF will demonstrate improved jute varieties, modern retting techniques, water conservation practices and advanced processing and marketing technologies aimed at improving productivity and reducing cultivation challenges.

Women Self-Help Groups will also showcase opportunities in jute-based products and value-added activities, highlighting the potential for rural entrepreneurship, income generation and sustainable employment.

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