Not AvailableThe low and highly fluctuating agricultural productivity and farm income is causing detrimental effect on the interest in farming, and farm investment, and is also forcing more and more farmers, particularly younger group, to leave farming. It is apparent that income earned by a farmer from agriculture is crucial to address agrarian distress and promote farmers welfare. Realizing the need to pay special attention to the plight of farmers, the Hon’ble Prime Minister announced to double the farmers income by 2022 to promote farmers welfare, reduce agrarian distress and bring parity between income of farmers and those working in nonagricultural profession. In spite of the natural resource endowments in terms of fertile soils, water resources and solar radiation, the productivity and per capita income of the farmers in the Eastern region is very low due to erratic climate variations, population explosion, land degradation, small and scattered land holdings, lack of quality seed and planting materials, poor extension mechanism, etc. However, the Eastern region of the country holds promise for a Second Green Revolution, which can be accomplished through holistic management of land, water, crops, biomass, horticultural, livestock, fishery and human resources. The region has developed a large number of technologies related to agri-horti crops, vegetables, livestock, poultry and fisheries. The major technologies developed for the Middle Indo-Gangetic Plains include: • Improving wheat productivity through zero tillage in rice-wheat system. • Integrated farming system. • Utilization of rice-fallows for pulse production. • Enhancing productivity of sugarcanebased production system. • Crop diversification. • Promotion of secondary agriculture like mushroom cultivation, bee keeping, etc. • Rejuvenation of unproductive fruit orchards. • High density orcharding with drip irrigation. • Supply of superior quality semen of cattle and buffalo. • Regular de-worming and vaccination, and feeding of area-specific mineral mixture. • Small scale mechanization in milking, washing, manure lifting & cleaning. • Integrated fish farming cum refined aquaculture technology. In order to enhance agricultural productivity and profitability, there is a need to make planned efforts for promotion and use of these technologies in befitting manner so as to increase farmer’s income to ensure sustainable food and livelihood security.Not Availabl
