Government Aiming to Position India as the Global Food Basket: Shivraj Chouhan
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Pune, Dec 23 (NationPress) The Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, announced on Monday that the government is fully committed to transforming India into the food basket of the globe.
Speaking at the Platinum Jubilee Conference of the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (AERC), he mentioned that the agriculture sector contributes 18 percent to the nation's GDP, and the Central government seeks to further enhance this sector.
Chouhan remarked, “The global community has recognized that India’s agriculture sector is more resilient than that of other nations, particularly highlighted during the Covid-19 pandemic.”
He stressed the importance of curbing the excessive use of pesticides and advocated for a shift towards natural farming, asserting that this approach would significantly enhance the country's agricultural output.
Furthermore, he indicated that the government is actively working to boost farmers' storage capabilities and is formulating a new scheme designed to facilitate the transport of farmers' goods to distant markets.
Under this initiative, both state and Central governments are collaboratively devising strategies to enable farmers to move their produce across different states and markets.
Chouhan emphasized that the endeavors of researchers should not remain confined to laboratories but should also reach out to the farmers.
He also introduced the Modern Krishi Choupal, a special program on the DD Kisan Channel, aimed at assisting farmers by providing a platform for dialogue between farmers, researchers, and scientists regarding challenges and prospects in agriculture.
He further noted the necessity of disseminating agricultural information in various Indian languages, rather than limiting it to English, to effectively bridge the gap between labs and land.
Additionally, Union Minister Chouhan stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the river linking project on December 25, which is expected to benefit regions facing heavy rainfall as well as those suffering from drought.
He elaborated that while some regions are grappling with floods, others are experiencing drought-like conditions; the river linking initiative aims to address these disparities.
Chouhan also highlighted the enhanced credit facilities introduced by the government to support farmers, allowing them to utilize the Kisan Credit Card for immediate funding at lower interest rates, eliminating the need to rely on moneylenders.
Moreover, he mentioned that between 2014 and 2024, the government has significantly increased the minimum support price for agricultural products, resulting in substantial benefits for farmers.
