The 10th Agrochemicals Conference organized by the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) was inaugurated by the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar.
Speaking on the occasion, Tomar said that farmers are getting direct benefits from the new technology and various schemes of the government in the country. In this regard, he talked about Kashmiri saffron. He said that the price of saffron has increased from one lakh rupees per kg to two lakh rupees due to modern facilities.
Tomar Highlights the Importance of the Agriculture Sector:
Union Minister Tomar further said that the agriculture sector is very important for the country's economy, which has proved its relevance even in adverse circumstances. The agricultural sector has been doing well even in the critical times of Covid, the condition of agro-based industries has also remained more or less satisfactory, and that’s why this sector is being continuously encouraged by the government. The government wants that the agriculture sector should grow strongly and India should be able to supply for the world as well as fulfil the needs of the country. Our thinking is based on "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam". With this spirit, the country has been progressing and will continue to grow.
He said that, “India is at first or second place in the world in terms of agricultural produce and it is our endeavour that the country should continue to grow in this direction. India has also joined the list of top 10 places in the world in the export of agricultural produce”.
He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to increase everybody’s interest in agriculture and the income of the farmers should be doubled. Work is being done in this direction through several schemes. Under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM Kisan) scheme, Rs 1.58 lakh crore has been deposited directly into their bank accounts to 11.37 crore farmers so far. Loan assistance is being given to farmers through Kisan Credit Card (KCC), while the gaps in the area are being filled through the historic Agriculture Infrastructure Fund of Rs 1 lakh crore.
The Union Minister said that the government is making every effort to benefit farmers in every way. He said farming should become profitable and farmers should be attracted to expensive crops. Moreover, farmers should get maximum benefits of new technology.
The government has also started Digital Agriculture Mission, in which a database of five and a half crore farmers has been prepared so far and by December this year the database of 8 crore farmers will be completed. The government is also encouraging farmers through a plan to form 10,000 new Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs).
Tomar said that efforts should be made towards organic or natural farming but it is necessary to maintain balance in farming. He added that big organizations like FICCI are continuously helping in the development of the country.
The theme of today's conference is: India@75: Accelerating the sustainable development of the agrochemical industry for a self-reliant India. Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers and New and Renewable Energy Bhagwant Khuba, member of NITI Aayog Prof. Ramesh Chand, Peter Ford, President, Corteva AgriScience Asia Pacific and R.G., Chairman, FICCI's Crop Protection Committee along with Agarwal, and other officials Manoj Mehta, Dr. S.P. Mohanty also spoke in the conference.
