New Delhi, Mar 31 (PTI) The government will prepare an action plan to augment areas and production of sunflower in the country after studying suggestions of various states and experts, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Thursday.
Tomar, after holding a detailed discussion with state governments and experts, said the sunflower production will be promoted in a planned manner the way pulses-oilseeds and national oil palm mission have been started in the country.
“After studying the suggestions of the states and experts, a detailed action plan will be prepared in this regard,” said an official statement quoting Tomar.
A sub-committee consisting of all major state governments and stakeholders as well as the agriculture commissioner will work out a road map, he said.
Urging states to increase production sunflower, the minister also assured all the support (like seeds, micro irrigation assistance to industries,etc.) to the state governments.
Senior officials of Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Haryana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and other states participated in the high-level meeting held at Krishi Bhawan, here.
Ministers of State for Agriculture Kailash Chaudhary and Shobha Karandlaje and agriculture secretary Sanjay Agarwal were present in the meeting.
Sunflower is grown mainly in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana. The scope of sunflower area is also present in other states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh etc.
In the meeting, the Uttar Pradesh government — which is showing interest in sunflower area expansion with the support of micro irrigation — said that the success model of mustard needs to be replicated for sunflower.
Karnataka is set to continue the area expansion programme in marginal lands, especially in the rabi season, with assured irrigation facilities to enhance the income of farmers.
The Karnataka government also advocated the cultivation of soybean with intercropping of major crops like tur, soybean, maize in the Western Ghats region of the state, and showed interest in expanding sunflower area on the pattern of Bajra programme, said a statement.
Andhra Pradesh has shown interest in sunflower cultivation by expansion of Targeting Rice Fallow Areas (TRFA) in paddy areas, especially where borewells are installed.
At the same time, Punjab is ready for area expansion by diversion of paddy areas. Haryana has planned to expand the area in potato fallow areas of about 30,000 acres, said the statement.
Stakeholders of oilseeds sector have requested for a separate mini-mission, seed availability, disease-pest control, market support and insurance support for sunflower, it added. PTI LUX LUX HVA HVA
