Union Agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan says there is need to increase the MSP on lac farming

Lac farming

President Droupadi Murmu on Friday (September 20, 2024) batted for lac farming while taking part in the centenary celebration of the ICAR-National Institute of Secondary Agriculture (NISA) in Ranchi in the presence of Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Speaking on the occasion, the President said besides making farming a profitable venture, there are three major challenges before agriculture in the 21st century.

“It is maintaining food and nutrition security, sustainable use of resources, and climate change. Activities related to secondary agriculture can help meet these challenges. Secondary agriculture includes the value addition of primary agricultural products as well as other agriculture-related activities like beekeeping, poultry farming, agricultural tourism, and others,” Ms. Murmu said.

She pointed out that agricultural waste can be utilised properly through secondary agriculture activities and can be processed to make useful and valuable things so that the environment can be protected and the farmers’ income will be increased as well. Ms. Murmu said lac is produced in India mainly by the tribal community which is an important source of their income. The President said NISA has done good work in lac farming but, there are still many areas in which it can go further.

“There is a demand for high-quality lac in the pharmaceuticals and cosmetics industries. If the quality, supply chain, and marketing of Indian lac are improved, our farmers will be able to supply it in the country and abroad and will get better prices,” Ms. Murmu said.

She was happy to note that the Automation and Plant Engineering Division has been established in NISA, which focuses on the development of robotics, the Internet of Things, and artificial intelligence-enabled equipment.

Mr. Chouhan on the other hand echoed the same and said that there is a need to diversify crops i.e. move towards other farming along with traditional farming in which lac cultivation is very important in this direction.

“The brothers, sisters, and groups associated with this farming are earning lakhs of rupees; there are infinite possibilities in it. At present 1500 farmers are being trained in lac cultivation at ICAR- National Agricultural Higher Processing Institute. We have decided that from this year, 5000 farmers will be given training so that they can earn more profit by getting the training.

We will try to get lac recognised as an agricultural product across the country so that lac producers can avail the benefits of the schemes of the Agriculture Ministry. There is a need to increase the minimum support price of lac. We will work together with the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to achieve this,” Mr. Chouhan said while addressing the gathering.

Mr. Soren said there is a need to take strong steps to keep farmers connected to agriculture, increase the income of farmers, and promote and encourage animal husbandry along with alternative farming.

Follow us for more