Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Piyush Goyal have emphasized that the Central government and State governments must work together for agriculture to give a boost to the economy. They said so in the Chief Ministers’ Conference on “initiatives and schemes for farmers’ welfare” on Monday.
Tomar said Agriculture has to be linked with digital technology, scientific research and knowledge. Talking about digital agriculture, the Minister urged all States to study the Karnataka Model which was presented during the conference.
He said his ministry has created a database of 5.5 crore farmers and it will be increased to 8 crore farmers by December, 2021. He asked states to allow linkage to the state land record database. The Minister said that with the establishment of the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, FPOs, PACS, Mandis and start-ups will get loans easily.
Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal said in his address that with an increase in agriculture exports, India is emerging as a trusted export partner and there is further scope for improvement of agri-exports. He emphasized that the infrastructure needs to be strengthened for storage and warehousing.
The objectives of the conference were to highlight the salient features of Aatmanirbhar Krishi and to enable States to enhance farmers’ income. It was also an occasion to share innovative initiatives undertaken by the States.
The discussion with the States centered around the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund and recent modifications in the scheme making it more inclusive. Now the eligibility has been extended to APMSs, state agencies, National and state federations of cooperatives, FPOs and SHGs.
The eligible activities were explained like community farming, assets, post-harvest management projects and primary processing. The need to make India self-reliant in edible oils and palms was stressed and the role of the States was discussed. Digital agriculture and use of emerging technology for smart agriculture was also discussed.
The concept of farmers’ databases was explained. A national farmer database is being created by taking data from existing schemes like PM-KISAN, soil health card and PM Fasal Bima Yojana. The database will have connectivity to the State land records database.
The first day of the two-day conference saw the participation of Chief Ministers and Agriculture Ministers of around a dozen States.
Union Minister of States Kailash Choudhary gave the vote of thanks. Secretary Sanjay Agarwal gave the welcome address and moderated the conference. MoS. Shobha Karandlaje, Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey were also present.
Chairman, APEDA gave a presentation on Agri exports. Other senior officials from Central and State Governments also participated in the conference.