'Committed To Doubling Farmers' Income By 2022': FM Sitharaman Proposes 16 Point Formula For Agriculture

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her budgetary speech prioritised the farming and agricultural sector of the country. "Our government is committed to the goal of doubling farmers' income by 2022", she announced in the Lok Sabha today.

She proposed a 16-point formula plan to boost agriculture and farmers welfare as a part of the "aspirational India" segment of the government's three-part policy for development.

The declared 16-points action plan are as follows:

1. The government proposes to encourage state governments to implement three model laws — Model Agriculture Land Leasing Act, 2016; Agricultural Produce Market Committees, 2017; and Contract Farming, 2018 — to expedite the marketing of agricultural produce
2. Extensive measures for 100 water-stressed districts are supposed to have been drawn out
3. Annadata scheme to be extended to include "Oorjadata" to help farmers link pumps to their solar grid. Farmers having fallow and barren lands can set up solar power generation units and they can sell it to grids to make a living. The government plans to expand PM Kusum solar pump scheme to help 20 lakh farmers
4. The government encourages the balanced use of fertilisers including organic and innovative fertilisers. This has been deemed an important step to change the prevailing incentive regime, which encourages excessive use of chemical fertilisers.
5. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) is to undertake an exercise to map and geotag warehouses across the country and provide viability funding to set up new ones. Food Corporation of India can undertake such projects on its land as well
6. In order to empower women in rural areas, village storage schemes run by Self Help Groups (SHGs) have been proposed. Women SHGs can avail assistance through MUDRA or NABARD schemes
7. Indian Railways will set up 'Kisaan' rail, with refrigerated coaches in trains for milk and other perishable produce. Krishi Udan will be launched by the Civil Aviation Ministry on national and international routes, with an eye on increasing connectivity in the Northeast and other tribal districts
8. Krishi Udaan will be launched by the Ministry of Civil Aviation on international and national routes. This will immensely help improve value realisation especially in North-East and tribal districts.
9. Horticulture sector surpasses the production of food grains at 311 million metric tonnes. The Centre encourages the marketing and export of a single product per district
10. Integrated farming systems in rain-fed areas to be expanded to encourage solar energy, bee-keeping, etc. in non-farming seasons
11. Financing on Negotiable Warehousing Receipts (e-NWR) has crossed more than`6000 crore. This will be integrated with e-National Agricultural Market.
12. Agriculture credit target for the year 2020-21 has been set at 15 lakh crore. All eligible beneficiaries of PM-KISAN will be covered under the KCC scheme. Fish production will be promoted to go up to 200 lakh tonnes by 2021-22
13. The government propose to eradicate foot and mouth disease, brucellosis in cattle, PPR in sheep by 2025
14. The government proposes to push the idea of a 'Blue Economy' and create a framework for development, management and conservation of marine fishery resources
15. Youth living in coastal areas will be benefitted through fish processing and marketing. By 2022-23, it is proposed that fish production will be raised to 200 lakh tonnes. Growing of algae, sea-weed and cage Culture will also be promoted
16. Under Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana for the alleviation of poverty, 58 lakh SHGs have been mobilised. The expansion of more on SHGs will be worked on

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