New Delhi: Bullish on agrarian reforms with the focus on “gaon, garib aur kisan”, the Centre has announced in the Union Budget for 2019-20 that it will make major investments in developing infrastructure in both agriculture and the allied farm sector.
Presenting the 2019-20 Budget, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman told the Lok Sabha on Friday that the government keeps “gaon, garib aur kisan” at the centre of everything it does. Both the “ease of doing business” and the “ease of living” should apply to farmers too.
The minister also emphasised the need to replicate Zero Budget Farming, an innovative model, across the country, saying that farmers are already being trained in few states in this regard. “We will invest widely in agricultural infrastructure. We will support private entrepreneurship in driving value addition to farmers’ produce from the field and for those from allied activities, like bamboo and timber from the hedges and for generating renewable energy,” she said.
Stating that “annadata” can also be “urjadata”, the minister said dairying through cooperatives should also be encouraged by creating infrastructure for cattle feed manufacturing, milk procurement, processing and marketing.
To harness potential in the fisheries sector, the government proposed a Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) to establish a robust fisheries management framework and check gaps in the value chain.
“Fishing and fishermen communities are closely aligned with farming and are crucial to rural India. This (PMMSY) will address critical gaps in the value chain, including infrastructure, modernisation, traceability, production, productivity, post-harvest management, and quality control,” she added.
While praising farmers for making India self-sufficient in the production of pulses, the finance minister said: “I am sure they will repeat such a success even in the production of oilseeds. Our import bill shall be reduced by their seva.”
She also proposed setting up of 10,000 new Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) to ensure economies of scale for farmers in the next five years. “The Agriculture Produce Marketing Cooperatives (APMC) Act should not hamper farmers from getting a fair price for their produce,” she added.
