Mandla Bureau
Summary: Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav virtually interacted with farmers of Mandla district during the Balram Krishi Mahotsav and heard their success stories. He urged them to take up animal husbandry, fisheries, poultry and medicinal farming alongside agriculture, and shared that efforts are underway to give nearly 66,000 people in the district free registry under the Swamitva Yojana.
Virtual interaction at Balram Krishi Mahotsav
Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav joined the Balram Krishi Mahotsav organised in Mandla district through video conferencing, under the Krishak Kalyan Varsh 2026 programme. He spoke directly to progressive farmers of the district and heard about their farming and allied livelihood activities. Farmers told him how government schemes, departmental training and financial assistance are helping them raise their incomes. The Chief Minister described the interaction as an opportunity to understand the hard work and innovations of farmers at first hand. Public representatives, officials and a large number of farmers were present at the programme.
The interaction was more than a formal address. The Chief Minister asked farmers one by one about their crops, livestock and other work, and responded to their answers. Such direct dialogue matters because it gives the government first-hand information about how schemes are working on the ground. In a tribal-majority district like Mandla, where farming is the livelihood base for most families, the message of this dialogue travels far.
Farmers are the backbone of the economy
Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav said farmers are the backbone of the state’s economy, and it is their hard work and dedication that keep Madhya Pradesh moving forward in agriculture. He encouraged them to take up agriculture-based activities along with farming. His point was that when farmers add animal husbandry, fisheries, poultry and medicinal farming to crop cultivation, they create more than one source of income and spread their risk.
On the occasion of National Unity Day, the Chief Minister recalled the contribution of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and extended greetings to all. He said the same spirit of unity and hard work forms the foundation of village progress. He also underlined that the government’s effort is to give farmers a good market for their produce and a fair price for their labour. Promotion of traditional coarse grains like kodo-kutki is part of this direction.
Mandla’s identity: land of penance, Narmada and valour
The Chief Minister also spoke about Mandla district’s historical and religious identity. He said Mandla has been a land of penance of Lord Parshuram and other sages. It is also the land of the valour of Raja Shankar Shah, Kunwar Raghunath Shah and Veerangana Rani Durgavati. The district has the blessings of the Narmada, and its natural wealth and fertile land are well suited to farming.
Mandla produces paddy, arhar, urad, soybean, maize and kodo-kutki in good quantity. This diversity is the district’s strength. On one side there is a main crop like paddy, and on the other there are traditional millets like kodo-kutki, whose demand is rising among health-conscious consumers. The Chief Minister said these very features mean Mandla’s farming should be seen not only as tradition, but also as a future opportunity.
Millets push: Rs 51 lakh to 424 farmers
The Chief Minister said the government is promoting traditional millets, or coarse grains. This includes production and government procurement of kodo-kutki. Under the Veerangana Rani Durgavati Shrianna Yojana, about Rs 51 lakh has been given to 424 farmers of Mandla district. The government is also continuously working to provide a market for these products and a better price to farmers for their produce.
Millets matter more today because these crops grow with less water and are considered rich in nutrition. Kodo-kutki holds a special place in Mandla’s identity, and the government’s effort is to take products made from them to bigger markets. The Chief Minister said irrigation facilities are being continuously expanded for farmers’ prosperity, so that traditional grain farming can also move forward with modern facilities.
Irrigation expands: irrigated area reaches 85,000 to 90,000 hectares
The Chief Minister said irrigation facilities in Mandla district have improved. The irrigated area has now increased to about 85,000 to 90,000 hectares. Farmers are also being benefited through small irrigation schemes. The government wants to promote milk production along with farming, so that farmers have more than one route to income.
Expansion of irrigation is one of the most basic changes for a district’s farming. When water availability increases, farmers can take two crops instead of one, move towards vegetables and other cash crops, and face a lower risk from dry spells. The rise in Mandla’s irrigated area is a concrete sign in this direction. The Chief Minister said farmers are being benefited through various small irrigation schemes, and this process will continue.
Fisheries, animal husbandry and medicinal farming open new income routes
The Chief Minister said Mandla district has good possibilities of raising income through work other than farming. Fish farming is underway in 65 reservoirs of the district. About 4,000 farmers are benefiting through 105 fisheries committees. He said farmers can also start production of mushrooms, makhana and other medicinal crops along with traditional farming. This will help raise their income.
Animal husbandry and milk production are also seen by the government as an additional source of income. When a farmer owns cows, regular milk income reduces dependence on the crop season. Similarly, fisheries can become a stable employment in areas with reservoirs. The Chief Minister also mentioned the bonus given to tendu leaf collectors and the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is giving economic support to farmers, and benefits of welfare schemes like Ladli Behna are also reaching families in the state.
Success stories: from Krishi Sakhi to gobar gas
A special part of the programme was the conversation with Mandla farmers who have raised their income by starting other work along with farming. Rajkumari Pandre of village Mudaadih told the Chief Minister that she practices natural and organic farming along with animal husbandry and poultry. She has 3 acres of land and 5 cows. She started poultry by buying 40 Kadaknath chicks for about Rs 650. In three and a half months she earned a profit of about Rs 7,000 from it. She also grows organic vegetables. As a Krishi Sakhi, she is helping 125 farmers become self-reliant. Amritlal of Bamhnni Banjar shared his experience of animal husbandry and goat rearing. He said he started with only 3 cows. After receiving Rs 52,000 assistance from the animal husbandry department, he expanded his business. He now has 13 cows. A gobar gas plant is also installed at his house. Eleven members of the family use this gas for cooking. Gobar gas and cow urine are also being used and produced. Sunil Jharia of village Chabi said he is doing natural farming and vegetable production on his 3 acres. Shail Kumar of Mohgaon said he grows different kinds of vegetables through multilayer farming, after training under the Agriculture Department’s ATMA project. Geeta Tekam of Beejadandi shared her work in natural farming, fisheries and animal husbandry, and said she is also making other farmers aware not to burn stubble.
Free registry for 66,000 under Swamitva and the medical college work
For the people of Mandla district, the Chief Minister shared important information about the Swamitva Yojana. He said efforts are being made to give the benefit of free registry to about 66,000 people in the district. He directed the Mandla Collector to ensure effective implementation of the scheme so that its benefit reaches all eligible people. The aim is to provide this facility to eligible people without registry fees. For a family, a firm paper for its house and land is not only legal security, but also a route to bank loans and government schemes. That is why this announcement reaches beyond farming, to the economic security of the whole family.
The Chief Minister also gave information about the medical college being built in the district. He said work is moving forward towards completing the under-construction medical college soon. Once the medical college starts, people of Mandla and nearby areas will get better health facilities, and treatment facilities in the district will also expand. At the programme, Public Health Engineering Minister Sampatiya Uike said Mandla district has vast possibilities in farming and allied work. MP Faggan Singh Kulaste said it is necessary to take new methods, modern technology and the benefit of government schemes to farmers. Apex Bank administrator Mahendra Singh Yadav gave information about cooperative banks and banking facilities for farmers.
Looking ahead, farmers of Mandla face both a double challenge and a double opportunity. On one side, millets, fisheries and animal husbandry have opened a path to higher income, and on the other, market, storage and processing arrangements for these products will have to be strengthened. If works like free registry under Swamitva Yojana and the under-construction medical college are completed on time, they can bring lasting change to the district. This dialogue at the Balram Krishi Mahotsav is a step in that direction, and its real test will be in the coming months, when schemes reach the ground.
Disclaimer: This news has been prepared on the basis of available sources and verification. If there is an error in any fact, a correction will be published.
