The Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar, Wednesday, said that the central government is working hard for the small farmers of the country. Many important schemes are being implemented in this direction to enhance their income as India is on the path to becoming the number one nation in the world in the agriculture sector, he added.
Tomar was speaking at the ‘Outlook Agritech Summit and Swaraj Awards 2022’ held in New Delhi on Wednesday. The annual awards recognise the best performances and innovations in the field of agriculture, and recognise those who are pushing the envelope by using smart technology. The awards were given to various Krishi Vikas Kendras, Farmers' Producers Organisations as well as individual scientists. Agrotech Summit is a platform to bring together the top political leadership, policymakers, thought leaders and companies involved in agriculture-related technology to share knowledge and recognise the best practices in the field of agriculture in India. In his speech that was played on a video clip, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel congratulated the winners and underlined the need to build a robust agriculture mechanism in the country.
Underlining that agriculture is an important sector for our country, Tomar said that there are 86 per cent of small farmers in the country have small acreage and little money to invest. The government is working under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the betterment of these farmers and has started the formation of 10,000 new FPOs. If small farmers join these FPOs, then the area under cultivation will increase, and the collective strength of the farmers will also increase. Both the country and the agriculture sector cannot progress without the betterment of these farmers, the minister said.
The government is also working to enhance the production of pulses and oilseeds, he said, underlining the country’s dependence on the import of edible oils. He added that since palm oil consumption amounts to 56 per cent of the total oil consumed in the country, the government has launched the Palm Oil Mission.
The Union Agriculture Minister said that before 2014, the agriculture budget was around Rs 22,000 crore, which has now touched Rs 1.32 lakh crore. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana has given a crucial security cover to farmers. Under the scheme, Rs 1.22 lakh crore has been paid to the farmers to compensate them for the damages caused to their crops. So far, Rs 2.03 lakh crore has been deposited in the accounts of 11.5 crore farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana.
Talking about technology in the agriculture sector, Tomar said that the government is working on the Digital Agriculture Mission so that both the farmers and the government can directly reach out to each other. Technology leads to transparency, which finally ensures that farmers get all the benefits of various schemes. The government is also promoting drone technology in agriculture, Tomar said.
The Union Minister also congratulated all the awardees and the Outlook Group for organising the Agrotech Summit. The awards represented the entire geography of the country, as they covered best practices in diverse regions from Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Among the awardees include Dr Prolay Kumar Bhowmick, Scientist, Division of Genetics, ICAR-IARI, New Delhi. He has been associated with the development of eleven varieties of Basmati rice including Pusa Basmati 1509, Pusa Basmati 1609, Pusa Basmati 1637 and Pusa Basmati 1718. A Krishi Vikas Kendra of Gumla district in Jharkhand was awarded for its remarkable work in areas like water conservation, lac cultivation, and mushroom production. A KVK of Manendragarh in Haryana was awarded for its excellent work in beekeeping and dairy. Mizoram’s Agriculture Minister C Lalrinsanga received the award for the Outstanding Northeastern State in the field of innovations in agriculture.
The CEO of Outlook Group, Indranil Roy, Swaraj Group’s CEO Harish Chavan, Ashok Dalwai, CEO, National Rainfed Area Authority, were among the dignitaries present on the occasion.
