Govt has accorded top priority to agri sector : Radha Mohan

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh on September 19, 2017, said that considering its importance, the Government has accorded top priority to the agriculture sector and Finance Ministry announced Rs.62,376 crore fund allocation to the sector in 2017-18.

The government’s aim is to increase the productivity and ensure farmers can get the remunerative price of their produce. The government is also ensuring that along with special focus on dairy/animal husbandry/fishery, the agriculture education, research, and expansion system is further extended. Radha Mohan while addressing the two-day Rabi Conference 2017-18 organized at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, said that it is our responsibility to make special efforts to improve the agricultural sector so that it provides strong trade opportunities.

Radha Mohan said that PM Narendra Modi has a dream of doubling farmers’ income by 2022 and to make his dream come true several schemes have been launched. Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, Soil Health Card scheme, Neem Coated Urea and e-NAM are some of the major schemes which have been launched to increase production and farmers’ income, according to a PIB release.

The Minister said that he has written to the state governments to devise a strategy and focus on production to post-production activities while strategizing. He said that to improve crop production, the Ministry has started the National Food Security Mission (NSFM), National Horticulture Mission (NHM), Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), National Mission on Agricultural Extension and Technology and Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), according to the PIB release.

He said that various schemes of the Ministry have been converted into special missions, schemes, and programs to achieve of 4% targeted annual development in agriculture and allied sectors.  The joint efforts of stakeholders resulted in a record foodgrains production in the country estimated to be 275.68 million tonnes in 2016-17.

The production of the current year is 18.67 million tonnes, which is more than the average production of foodgrains in the last five years (2011-12 to 2015-16). The total production of rice in the country is estimated at 110.15 million tonnes in 2016-17.  This is 4.73 million tonnes more than the average rice output of 105.42 million tonnes in the last five years, according to the PIB release. Production of wheat is also estimated at 98.38 million tonnes, a record.