Gunaगुना

What the plan promotes

• ▸Crop loan is the single biggest opportunity at Rs 1649.60 cr (47% of the plan) for wheat, maize, urad, gram, soybean and mustard across the district's roughly 1.60 lakh farmers.
• ▸Kumbhraj block hosts the largest coriander (dhaniya) mandi in the country; the district's climate suits coriander and better varieties and techniques can raise output further.
• ▸Farm mechanisation carries Rs 238.19 cr of term-loan potential, with NABARD's thrust on popularising modern farm equipment, motor pumps, sprinklers and drip irrigation.
• ▸Dairy development is a Rs 80.05 cr term-loan line and a named thrust area, alongside increasing the number of milk routes and milk collection points.
• ▸Plantation & horticulture (incl. sericulture) holds Rs 45.56 cr; the district grows guava, lemon/lime, kinnow, orange, mango, papaya and vegetables.
• ▸Food & agro processing (Rs 29.20 cr) is flagged as the key gap to close, with small food-processing units to be set up under the Agriculture and Horticulture department schemes, especially value addition in wheat and soybean.

Gaps the plan names

• ▸Despite strong pulses, oilseed and horticulture output, food-processing capacity is inadequate, so produce does not fetch good prices; small food-processing units should be promoted under the Agriculture and Horticulture department schemes.
• ▸Extension support is weak; the district needs an adequate number of Krishi Mitra (farm advisors) to give farmers timely crop advice.
• ▸A soil-testing laboratory is needed in each of the 5 blocks, and the existing agricultural extension network needs strengthening.
• ▸Warehouses, micro-godowns and cold storage are short and should be set up through private investment, with banks playing an active financing role.
• ▸Animal health care needs improvement, milk routes should be increased, and poultry/fish hatcheries and fish markets need to be established.