Subsidy transforms farmer’s fortune

Lucknow: Farmers are receiving direct benefits from the schemes of UP govt. With the support of these initiatives, farmers are rapidly moving towards modern and high-profit farming practices, officials said on Wednesday.Take the example of a young farmer, Neeraj Patel from Barabanki, who received benefits under National Horticulture Mission. Traditionally, his family practised conventional agriculture. However, he wanted to try something different.He learned about gerbera flower cultivation at a programme of the horticulture department. He decided to begin gerbera cultivation using modern techniques and took advantage of the National Horticulture Mission scheme run by govt. Under it, he received a loan of Rs 29.5 lakh in 2018 and later received a 50% subsidy.Through this scheme, Patel established a polyhouse on one acre of land. Today, it has nearly 25,000 gerbera plants. Gerbera flowers are in high demand in the market. He stated that after covering all expenses, he earns a profit of approximately Rs 8-10 lakh annually.