Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Wednesday met farmers from different parts of Delhi in Tigipur village and assured them that all of the Centre’s agricultural welfare schemes will be implemented in the Capital soon. Addressing a gathering of farmers from the city’s rural belts, Chouhan said, “Delhi’s farmers were left out of the central government's schemes earlier due to the previous government. The state government has to send us a proposal. I have spoken to the Chief Minister, and she will soon send a proposal to ensure these are rolled out.” Chouhan is on the last leg of his 15-day programme, Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan, under which he has travelled to 14 states already and is interacting with farmers directly. “There is great demand for fruits and vegetables in Delhi. If agriculture is strengthened here, it will not just benefit the city but also ensure India’s economy grows — because even today, half our population is dependent on farming,” he said. Farmers present at the event raised several concerns, including high electricity costs, lack of subsidies, and no retail outlets for fertilisers. “We don’t get any subsidy. And if there is, the process is too complicated to understand,” said a farmer. Another noted that tractors with Delhi registration numbers are charged commercial tax, which increases their input cost, so farmers have to purchase tractors from neighbouring Haryana. A mushroom farmer from Tigipur, cultivating on just two acres, said he spends Rs 40 lakh a year and makes Rs 10-15 lakh in profit by selling directly to Azadpur mandi and contracting with factories. A strawberry grower, with 10 acres under cultivation, said he earns Rs 12-13 lakh per acre. “We plant strawberries in October and inter-crop it with sweet corn and capsicum later. We sell to Reliance, BigBasket and local mandis," he said. “There are some farmers who are doing very well and earning a lot. We also need to learn their best practices” Chouhan said at the chaupal. The cost of inputs remains a problem for farmers of the national capital. “Agriculture doesn’t exist in Delhi for the government. So, our electricity is charged at commercial rates, which is extremely high,” said another farmer. “There is also no IFFCO shop in Delhi from where we can buy fertilisers,” another said. Chouhan said the government is planning to adopt a ‘One Nation, One Farm, One Team’ approach. “Policies must not be made sitting in offices. The agriculture department, research scientists, and agricultural universities must go to villages and speak to farmers. Only then can we find solutions together,” he added.
