Gujarat is all set to lead the country into the second green revolution. With a holistic approach adopted for water management, the implementation of Jyotigram Yojana (scheme for uninterrupted power supply) for providing round-the-clock 3-phase power and a host of other initiatives including Krishi Mahotsav (agricultural festival), Gujarat has witnessed impressive agricultural performance during the last five years.
Agriculture production has increased by 16 lac metric tonnes. GSDP from agriculture at current prices has increased by 128% during the period 2000-01 to 2005-06 reaching a whooping Rs. 33,659 crores. Gujarat is far ahead of the target of 4.03 % average annual growth rate set by the Planning Commission, in the first four years of 10th Five-year Plan.
The overall production/cultivation cost has come down dramatically from Rs 9150 to Rs 5025 per hectare and the land brought under cultivation has increased significantly.
In order to economize the use of water, Gujarat has also speeded up the promotion, awareness and application of micro-irrigation techniques such as Drip and Sprinkler Irrigation. While the centre has allocated Rs 400 crores towards drip irrigation for the entire country, the Government of Gujarat has already started work on drip irrigation schemes worth Rs 1500 Crores. The state government has also created 2.94 lac water harvesting structures like check dams, boribunds and Khet Talavdis (farm ponds) through people's participation.
Gujarat now has four Agricultural Universities which are networked for collaborative research. A strategy of "Lab to Land," offering technical assistance to the farmers with the help of scientists of agriculture universities has been introduced. This Lab to Land approach has enabled agri-research from the labs to reach the grass-root levels. The Government is setting up Agri Export Zones, one covering central and southern Gujarat and two in Saurashtra region are already notified.
Yet another initiative unique to Gujarat is the concept of Soil Health Cards. To ensure that the farmers know the quality of their soil and the ideal crop for their soil, a major programme of testing and analyzing the health of soil was taken up for all the villages in the state. Based on the data collected, the government has issued soil health cards to the farmers. These cards contain detailed soil analysis with recommendation for usage of right kind of fertilizers and seeds. More than one lac soil samples have been collected and scientifically analyzed and more than 235,000 soil health cards have been distributed.
Fruits and spices also saw a major jump in their production as compared to earlier years. Apart from traditional crops, the state is now going to be known for roses, strawberries, organic products and above all bio-diesel.
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