Thane, May 17 (PTI) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has urged officials to make concerted efforts to uplift farmers and emphasised the need to shift towards organic and mechanised farming.

Shinde, who is also the guardian minister of Thane, presided over a district-level pre-Kharif season review meeting on Friday.

Also Read | Mumbai Rains: Heavy Showers Lash City, Bringing Respite From Humidity; IMD Predicts Continued Rainfall in Several Parts of India (Watch Videos).

"Farmers should be encouraged to take up group, organic, and mechanised farming, and maximum benefits of schemes should be given to these cultivators," an official release quoted Shinde saying.

He called for a multi-pronged approach, including promoting diverse crops and directed officials to ensure works on water bodies are completed before the monsoon season.

Also Read | Una Accident: 26 Injured in Himachal Pradesh As Tempo Overturns While Trying To Avoid Hitting Another Vehicle.

Quality seeds and fertilisers are made available to farmers in a timely manner, and they should be given the necessary training to improve soil texture, he said.

Initiatives such as the Fruit Crop Insurance Scheme and the Chief Minister's Sustainable Agriculture Scheme need wider publicity, Shinde noted.

He also pushed for 100 per cent Kharif loan distribution and timely AgriStack registration to ensure no eligible PM Kisan beneficiary is left out.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)