The State Government has got sanctioned a rupees 155 crore agriculture project, for production of cash crops by adopting latest precision farming practices by constructing around 30,000 ‘Poly Houses’ throughout the state within next four years.

          The project will usher a rapid and faster growth in the field of agriculture, by strengthening the economy of the farmers, who hitherto have been depending on the traditional crop pattern. The project envisages higher production of various cash crops thus ensuring remunerative prices to their yield.

          Starting from this month, the project shall be implemented in letter and spirit within the next four years. Out of the total cost of the project, rupees 117.32 crore would be given as assistance to farmers in the shape of subsidy whereas rupees 37.60 crore would be borne by the beneficiaries.

          The project components include construction of poly houses with sprinkler and drip irrigation system, through agriculture department of the state. Along-with high yield production of cash crops, judicious use of natural resources like land and water, year around availability of vegetables together with quality produce ensuring better fiscal benefits to farmers are also the main objectives of this project.

Emphasis would be laid on for providing sprinkler and drip Irrigation facilities in the Poly houses for which farmers shall be provided 80 %  subsidy up to 1000 sq meters, and 20 % would be the contribution of the beneficiaries. Besides, the farmers shall be provided 50% financial backup for creation of water resources for these poly houses like farm yanks, shallow wells, pumping wells, pumping sets, small water lifting sources etc. A total of 2650 number of tanks, wells and pumps would be constructed wherein both the beneficiaries and the state government would bear the equal expenditure.

The total numbers of the poly houses to be constructed for producing cash crops are 28820. In all, these poly houses, micro irrigation system would be constructed during the project period covering an area of 14.70 lakh square meters. Depending upon the area and the site, different models of the poly houses ranging from low cost tunnel, low cost poly houses made up of local material and medium cost poly houses of standard material would be constructed.

          Over and above, about 6000 youths are expected to get gainful employment during the project period, along-with 1000 rural artisans, whose services would be taken to construct these poly houses under the supervision of the experts.

          The implementation of this project would not only provide year around vegetable production in the extreme climatic condition, but would also ensure increase in production and productivity of vegetables under protective cultivation system.