West Bengal Agricultural Policy

Main Features:

1. Raising agricultural production and Productivity vertically through wider adoption

of appropriate eco-system-specific and cost effective technology, since land is a finite
resource.

2. Bringing more area under high yielding variety (HYV), hybrid and improved
varieties of crops.
a) Strengthening of seed certification and seed testing functionaries.
b) Increased timely supply of certified seed.
c) Increasing coverage under HYV from 88 percent to 95 percent in the terminal year
of 10th plan specially in case of winter Rice.
d)Replacement of farmers’ stock with certified, quality seed to the extent of cereals
20% to 33%,pulses-7% to 25%, oil seed-20%to 50%,Jute- 78%,Potato-
12%,Vegetables-12%

3. Increasing fertilizer use and fertilizer-water use, efficiency application of fertilizer

on soil test results, use of balanced dose of fertilizer etc.(consumption of fertilizer
NPK to be raised from 134 kg.per ha.to 235 kg.per ha. With an improvement of most
favourable consumption ratio from 3:21:13:1 to 2:1:1 in the terminal year of 10th
plan.

4. Increasing the cropping intensity from the existing 174 %to 190 % through
appropriate diversion or replacement of: a) Existing crop/ varieties: profitable crop
sequences. b)Introduction of new crops and cropping sequences. c) Increasing
irrigation facilities (from 52 % to 65% gross cropped area), scientific utilization of
scare inputs.

5.Emphasizing increased production of pulses and Oil seeds in non-traditional areas

and non- conventional seasons utilizing residual moisture and improving productivity
with right application of available technology.

6. Encouraging small and marginal farmers including Scheduled Castes and

Scheduled Tribes & women to maintain the increased production tempo by providing
different inputs on subsidy reasonable price. Intensifying training of farmer’s son and
women and establishment of demonstration centers in farmer’s field for
dissemination of the latest know-how based on on- farm results.

7. Intensifying Agricultural programme in the low productive and inaccessible areas

with special reference to Coastal saline zone, undulating Red and lateritic Zone, Tista
Tera Alluvial Zone an Northern Hill Zone identification and application Of “ecology
specific Profitable technology”.

8. Encouraging the farmers for mechanization through the use of agricultural

implements and machines for timely farm operation, and reducing cost of cultivation.

9. Emphasizing maintenance of soil health, more use of Bio-fertilizers, green manure

and farm yard manure, balanced nutrition, consumptive use of irrigaton water and
conservation of surface water through participatory irrigation Management (PIM),
Need-based use of plant protection chemicals on Integrated pest Management
(IPM)concept and popularization of Bio-pesticides and Botanical pesticides.

10. Extending soil testing facilities up to district level for proper use of fertilizer.

11. To strengthen and activate Agricultural Extension Service including Training &
visit system to intensify linkage between research and extension workers.

12. Managing crisis in the event of natural calamities and adequate Budgetary
allocation to mitigate the eventualities, adopting contingent planning.

13. Creating employment opportunity to improve the socio-economic status of the

farmers and removing sub-regional disparity.

14. Exploitation of surface water potential and to reduce indiscriminate use of ground
water, as far as practicable.

15. Post-harvest technology for reducing loss and better marketability.

16. Reducing Zonal and sub-regional imbalances.

17. Vertical expansion of productivity in major cereal crops.

18. To maintain nutrient reserve pool of the soil by properly maintaining soil humus.

19. Crop diversification.

20. Utilizing farmers’ wisdom in blending indigenous technology with ecology-specific

productivity.

21. Bringing cultivable waste land and fallow land under cultivation.

22. Emphasing concept of zero tillage/minimum tillage in vulnerable areas.

23. Recycling of renewable quantity water (Rain water) and arrangement for proper
recharging of rain water (appropriate cropping sequence- need for the hour).

24.Precision in Agriculture

25. Application of low cost technology for increasing production and productivity in
agriculture.

26. More money involvement in Agriculture.