Balasore: The government is spending crores of rupees to boost agriculture and strengthen the economic backbone of farmers by way of incentive to promote cash crops, but many farmers who used to raise sunflower are shunning it for lack of government support in this district.
The geo-climatic condition of Chamchandrapur area of Jaleswar block is conducive for sunflower cultivation. However, farmers of the area alleged some of them have raised sunflower on their own funds with no encouragement from the government.
Besides, the absence of marketing facilities also makes sunflower farming a risky affair, farmers said.
According to farmers, about four to five days after harvesting, sunflower seeds are treated well and need to be milled within a short time. With no mill around to extract oil from the seeds, farmers have to walk to a West Bengal village, 20km away from their village, to get the job done.
Many farmers suggested the government should open procurement centres for sunflower seeds.
“We have demanded for mandis (procurement centres) several times in the past, but nothing has been done as yet,” Ashok Patra, a sunflower grower of Jaleswar area rued.
Farmers alleged the agriculture department has done nothing for promoting cash crops like sunflower and has not even provided seeds to them.
Training of farmers on new technology is also needed, they observed. It was learnt that seeds are being provided through oil agencies and that too is not adequate enough to meet the demand of farmers.
Many farmers stated that due to traditional method of farming, the production is not commensurate with the labour invested in farming.
If farmers are trained on new technology, they could find huge profits from sunflower cultivation, they added.
Agriculture officer of Jaleswar, Kiran Kumar Parida, said farmers are sensitised about new scientific methods of cultivation through workshops. PNN
