Union Finance Minister, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, today announced a financial package agriculture and related fields, under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Mission. Congratulating Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the Finance Minister on this step, the Union Home Minister, Shri Amit Shah said, “Modi Government believes that India’s welfare lies in the welfare of its farmers. This unprecedented assistance given to farmers today shows PM Modi’s foresight to make the country self-sufficient by empowering the farmers.”
Talking about some of the important steps taken by the Union Government to help the farmers during the lockdown, the Home Minister said, “Modi government has given relief to the farmers in the lockdown by purchasing their crop worth Rs. 74,300 crore at minimum support price (MSP); transfers worth Rs.18,700 crores to farmer accounts under PM KISAN; Rs. 6,400 crores given under crop insurance scheme ”. According to Shri Shah, PM Modi’s sensitivity towards farmers, even in adverse circumstances, is exemplary for the whole world.
On the package related to animal husbandry sector, the Home Minister said that due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the consumption of milk in the country was reduced by 20-25%, but the Modi government bought 111 crore liters of milk worth Rs 4,100 crore to aid the farmers”. Shri Shah thanked the Prime Minister for the assistance of Rs. 5,000 crore given to 2 crore farmers of animal husbandry sector through today’s announcements.
On the announcement of Rs. 1 lakh crore ‘Agricultural Infrastructure Fund’, the Home Minister said, “I am confident that under the leadership of PM Modi, the decision of forming a Rs. 1 lakh crore ‘Agricultural Infrastructure Fund’ by the Central Government would give a new direction to the agricultural sector and to the welfare of farmers in India”.
By adopting a cluster based approach and the decision to provide Rs 10,000 crore for Micro Food Enterprises would provide an unprecedented boost to the people associated with small enterprises like Mango, Saffron, Chilli and Bamboo, among others. This would not only increase their income but will also provide them with a better market, Shri Shah said.
Expressing gratitude to the Prime Minister on the package related to the fisheries sector, the Home Minister said, “Modi government’s decision to provide Rs. 20,000 crore to the fisheries sector under ‘Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY)’, would give a boost to the infrastructure, its modernization, productivity and quality of output, as well as, generate new jobs in the sector”.
Shri Shah said that the decisions to create the Rs. 15,000 crore ‘Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund’ for the animal husbandry sector; provide Rs. 4,000 crore for promoting medicinal farming and Rs. 500 crore for bee keeping would lead to unprecedented growth and development of these areas, along with increase in income and employment.
On the historic decision of agricultural marketing reform, the Home Minister said that the Modi government will bring a central law that would give farmers enough options to sell their produce at a better price. After this, they would be able to do barrier-free inter-state trade, and through e-trading their produce will reach every nook and corner of the country.