Agriculture a strategic pillar for India’s long-term growth: PM Narendra Modi
Speaking at the third post-budget webinar, Modi said the government has disbursed more than Rs 4 lakh crore to nearly 10 crore farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme and helped provide financial support to the farming community.
He added that various government initiatives have reduced risks for farmers and provided them with basic economic security.
“Agriculture is also a strategic pillar of India’s long-term development journey and our government has continuously strengthened the agricultural sector with this vision,” the Prime Minister said.
Modi highlighted that corporate credit coverage for farmers has increased to over 75% and claims worth around Rs 2 lakh crore have been settled under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.
He also said that reforms in the Minimum Support Price system have enabled farmers to get one and a half times higher returns.
Calling for greater focus on value creation in agriculture, Modi said India should scale up high-value agriculture and promote better quality, branding and standards for agricultural products. The Prime Minister noted that these measures increased confidence in the sector and helped the country achieve record production of food grains, pulses and oilseeds.
He also urged stakeholders to ensure that the benefits of the Union Budget reach the maximum number of people by effectively implementing the announced schemes and programmes.
