Maharashtra Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister Review Kharif Season

• Complete Distribution of Compensation Assistance to Farmers by June 30 Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Directions to District Administration
• Strict Action Against Vendors and Companies Linking Fertilizers and Seeds

Mumbai : Chief Minister Eknath Shinde instructed today that the allotment of aid to farmers and citizens for natural calamities and agricultural damages must be completed by June 30. Timely assistance to farmers is essential. The Chief Minister also directed the district administration to immediately implement the decisions made by regional authorities for the benefit of farmers. Furthermore, he emphasized that the Agriculture Department must take strict action against sellers who link fertilizers and seeds.

The Chief Minister assessed the Kharif season in a meeting held at Sahyadri Guest House. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Revenue Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, Cooperation Minister Dilip Valse-Patil, Agriculture Minister Dhananjay Munde, Marketing Minister Abdul Sattar, Rural Development Minister Girish Mahajan, Soil and Water Conservation Minister Sanjay Rathod, Chief Secretary Dr. Nitin Karir, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister I. S. Chahal, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Vikas Kharge, Principal Secretary of the Agriculture Department V. Radha, Commissioner of Agriculture Raosaheb Bhagde, along with other key officials, were present. All Divisional Commissioners, Collectors, and District Agriculture Officers participated through video conferencing.

Chief Minister Shinde remarked that farmers are the backbone of the country. Therefore, the state government’s decisions aimed at farmers’ prosperity should be implemented immediately. He affirmed that the state government will support the farmers and urged district collectors to promote bamboo cultivation. Additionally, he stressed the importance of agricultural universities focusing on new research and instructed special attention to be given to talukas and districts receiving less than 25 percent rainfall.

Deputy Chief Minister Fadnavis emphasized the need for strict action against bogus seed companies. Agriculture officers should visit sectoral levels to guide farmers. Deputy Chief Minister Pawar highlighted that the Meteorological Department has predicted heavy rainfall in July due to La Niña.

Agriculture Minister Munde introduced a plan to ensure that farmers do not face shortages of seeds, fertilizers, and other agricultural inputs during the dry season. He provided a WhatsApp number (9822446655) for farmers to report hoarding or linking issues.

This year, the expected area under Kharif cultivation is 142.38 lakh hectares, including 40.20 lakh hectares under cotton, 50.86 lakh hectares under soybean, 15.30 lakh hectares under rice, 9.80 lakh hectares under maize, and 17.73 lakh hectares under pulses. The state has secured 24.91 lakh quintals of seeds, 1.50 lakh tons of urea, and 25 thousand tons of DAP fertilizers in protected stock, as informed by Principal Secretary Radha.