“Social forestry will increase the income of the farmers and will also preserve the environment,” opined district collector Dilip Swami. He was speaking during the inauguration of the convention of the plant producers and plant buyers organized by the Social Forestry Department at Sant Eknath Rangmandir on Tuesday. In all, 449 people participated in the convention.
Swami further said the initiative will encourage plantation culture and provide additional income to the farmers. It is also important to preserve the environment. This initiative will help in securing guaranteed income for farmers who are completely dependent on the rains for farming. “Any business should earn a minimum sustainable income; that is the rule of the market. It is important that a proper coordination is established between the plant growers and the markets available for their produce,” Swami said.
In all, 207 growers from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, 63 from Jalna, 55 from Parbhani, and 37 from the Hingoli district participated in the convention, while the other participants were the representatives of the buyer companies and government officers.
Eminent personalities from the field including Bhagatsingh Shelke, Sandeep Ghate, Sanjeev Karpe, Rajendra Gadekar, C U Marade, Dr. Sanjay Patil, and representatives of various companies were present.
Mitcon Nature-Based Solutions, J K Paper Ltd, Native Conbok Bamboo Products, Indurao Sandal Products, Maharashtra Bamboo Development Board, Fruit Research Centre, Jain Tissue Culture, Jain Hitech Plant Factory, Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd, Jain Sprinklers, Jain Solar, Green Sense Energy Systems, Green Sense Solar Water Heater, Mahatma Gandhi Mission Agriculture Science Centre, and others had established their stalls.
Farmers were guided by experts about the Krushi Vanika Scheme, Bamboo Industry, Paper Industry, Sandal Farming and Market, Plantation, Market, Exports, and other issues. Field visits of the farmers were conducted at the Mango Quality Centre at Himayat Baug and MGM Agriculture Centre at Gandheli.
