GUWAHATI, Sept 4 � The Agriculture department will be implementing its �mission double cropping� in all the 26 districts of the State from the next rabi season onwards.
The objective of the mission is to enhance cropping intensity, and its initial phase had covered 12 districts.
The programme will cover 1,77,835 hectares of cropland, and during 2011-12 it will extend to 63,800 hectares (mustard), 3,181 hectares (potato), 16,140 hectares (summer paddy), 4,714 hectares (pulses), and 90,000 hectares (rabi vegetables).
Sources in the Agriculture department said that the mission would integrate several other projects such as disaster mitigation scheme, Chief Minister�s vegetable production scheme, National Agriculture Extension Project and Rashtriya Krishi Vikash Yojana for achieving the desired growth in production. Through another project, an additional area of 31,200 hectares of cropland would be utilized for Boro paddy in 12 districts.
For proper implementation of the mission, a State-level monitoring committee has been formed. Besides, district-level committees would also be constituted for effective monitoring at district level, sources said.
Agriculture Minister Nilamani Sen Deka has asked the officials concerned to ensure timely implementation of the programme in a transparent manner, sources added.
As of now, a meagre 11,88,000 out of a total cropland of 28,10,000 in the State is utilized for double or more cropping. The State at present has a cropping intensity rate of 142 per cent, and the objective of the campaign is to raise it to targeted 145 per cent during 2011-12.
Sources said that for realizing the desired growth of 145 per cent within 2011-12, it was highly imperative that the rest of the agricultural land having single cropping was utilized for at least two crops a year.
�A novel feature of the mission is that it is having some of the key components and thrust areas incorporated in the National Food Security Mission (rice and pulse), Rashtriya Krishi Vikash Yojana, Agriculture Mechanization, certified seed production under Seed Village Programme, and Agriculture Irrigation,� sources said, adding that rice transplanter machines will also be used for greater efficiency.
