Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister on Thursday virtually inaugurated the joint conference of the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) and the National Stock Exchange (NSE) from Gwalior.
On this occasion, Tomar stated that as a result of the hard work of farmer brothers and sisters and the government's farmer-friendly policies, India now ranks among the top two producers in the world in terms of most agricultural products. He stated that India's organic products are in high demand around the world and that despite adverse conditions such as the corona epidemic, agricultural exports from India exceeding Rs. 3.75 lakh crores is a positive sign. In this case, we must maintain the quality of our agricultural products and ensure it meets global standards.
The conference on "Getting Agricultural Markets Right" was co-organized by ICRIER, one of the country's leading economic think tanks, and the NSE, the world's largest exchange. The chief guest, Union Minister Tomar, stated that India has a diverse climate and that there is a possibility of extremely favourable weather for farming.
"Our agriculture sector is very strong, and it can withstand adverse conditions." Even during the Covid crisis, when the entire world had almost come to a halt, all agricultural activities such as sowing, harvesting, marketing, and so on continued uninterrupted. Because the Indian agriculture sector is vast and the majority of our population is dependent on agriculture, the government has made necessary changes for its progress, and scholars continue to support the government through their suggestions, all of which will benefit the agriculture sector.”
“Several initiatives for agricultural development and management have been launched in the last eight years under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. One thousand mandis have been linked to the National Agricultural Market (e-NAM) across the country, and efforts are underway to connect the remaining mandis. The Central Government has made efforts to enable farmers to receive remunerative prices for their produce and to adopt agricultural technology," he said.
Tomar stated that the work of establishing 10,000 Farmers Producer Organizations (FPOs) in the country has begun at a cost of Rs 6,865 crore.
"FPOs account for approximately 85 percent of the country's small farmers." Farmers benefit from FPOs by expanding their cultivation area, resulting in higher volumes of production; they also receive better quality seeds and fertilizers and can obtain convenient loans, all of which increase farmers' overall income and improve farming. The government has set up customs hiring centres throughout the country, and farmers are also receiving subsidies for agricultural implements.”
“Previously, the doors to private investment in agriculture were frequently closed, but now efforts are being made to bring facilities such as warehouses, cold storage, packaging machines, and so on to villages, for which the Center has earmarked a special package worth Rs. 1.5 lakh crore in agriculture and allied sectors. Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) has been established with an investment of more than Rs. One lakh crore, with loans worth about Rs. 9.5 thousand crores approved so far for approximately 13,000 projects that will greatly benefit farmers," he said.
Tomar urged farmers to practise organic and natural farming, saying that the quality would benefit consumers. He stated that the Central Government is also promoting animal husbandry on the basis of complementarity with agriculture. According to the Union Agriculture Minister, the government has announced a policy to promote the use of drones, and the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has issued a standard operating procedure in this regard.
"As the use of drones grows, it will not only benefit farming, but it will also help farmers avoid chemical side effects and create new job opportunities."
The government has launched several schemes to benefit farmers, and they are currently receiving easy loans at low interest rates totaling approximately Rs. 16 lakh crores. Similarly, under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, farmers have received claims totaling Rs 1.15 lakh crore as compensation for crop losses. "It is our goal to increase farmer productivity, and the government is working hard to achieve this," he said.
Tomar expressed confidence that the conference's deliberations would yield the best proposals, which would guide the formulation of better policies. The conference was also addressed by ICRIER Chairman Pramod Bhasin and NSE Managing Director and CEO Vikram Limaye. Professor Ashok Gulati, ICRIER Chair of Agriculture, proposed the vote of thanks. Among the panellists and dignitaries in attendance were NSE Director and Chief Executive Dr. Deepak Mishra and NITI Aayog member Prof. Ramesh Chand.
