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Governance reforms topic at National Conference titled Agriculture-’22
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Thursday, 22 February, 2018, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, New Delhi
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Policy and governance reforms and agriculture trade policy and export promotion; market structure and marketing efficiency were among the topics on which presentations were made by the seven thematic groups at the National Conference, whose topic was Agriculture-2022: Doubling Farmers’ Incomes. Attended by prime minister Narendra Modi, the event took place at NASC Complex, Pusa, Delhi.
The other topics included value chain and supply chain management; science and technology and start-ups in agriculture; sustainable and equitable development and efficient delivery of services; capital investment and institutional credit for farmers, and promotion of livestock, dairy, poultry and fisheries as engines of growth.
Appreciating the presentations, Modi complimented the farmers of India, especially for the increase in the production of pulses. He said the Government was taking a series of coordinated steps to improve the income of farmers. In this regard, he mentioned four aspects - reducing input costs; ensuring a fair price for the produce; reducing wastage, and creating alternate sources of income.
He added that 100 per cent neem coating of urea had led to an increased efficiency of the urea itself, while also increasing productivity. The prime minister said that a study indicated that the use of soil health cards had led to a reduction in the use of chemical fertilisers, while increasing production.
Modi said that the government was working towards completing 99 incomplete irrigation projects, adding that 50 of these are likely to be completed this year. With each completed irrigation project, he added that the input cost of farmers would come down. The prime minister stated that 20 lakh hectares of farmland had so far been brought under micro irrigation through the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana.
The prime minister said Operation Greens, announced in the Budget this year, would benefit farmers growing tomatoes, onions and potatoes. He added that 22,000 Grameen Haats would be upgraded with appropriate infrastructure and integrated with the electronic National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) platform. The farmers will have a facility within 5 to 15km of their land, to connect them with markets.
Modi said that the amount sanctioned for agriculture credit has been enhanced to ensure easy availability of credit to farmers. He added that several initiatives were being undertaken to convert agricultural waste to wealth.
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