Union Finance & Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her press conference on Friday announced the 3rd Tranche of measures to strengthen Infrastructure Logistics, Capacity Building, Governance and Administrative Reforms for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Processing Sectors.
Giving details, Smt. Sitharaman said that out of these 11 measures, 8 measures are for improving agricultural infrastructure and 3 measures are for administrative and governance reforms, including removing restrictions on sale and stock limits of farm produce.
In her opening remarks, the Union Finance Minister said that two significant Agriculture-related measures were also announced yesterday to support farmers, Rs 30,000 crore as Additional Emergency Working Capital facility through NABARD to enable RRBs and Cooperative Banks extending farm loans for Rabi post-harvest and Kharif expenses.
And second was a mission-mode drive to enable Rs 2 lakh crore credit boost to the farm sector by covering 2.5 crore PM-KISAN beneficiaries under Kisan Credit Card Scheme by December 2020.
Outlining what the Government has done over the last 2 months, the Finance Minister said that during lockdown period Minimum Support Price (MSP) purchases of amount more than Rs 74,300 crore, PM KISAN fund Transfer of Rs 18,700 crore and PM Fasal Bima Yojana claim payment of Rs 6,400 crore have been made.
Further, during Lockdown, Demand of Milk reduced by 20-25%. Accordingly, 560 Lakh litre per day (LLPD) were procured by cooperatives against daily sale of 360 LLPD. Total 111 crore litres of milk extra procured ensuring payment of Rs 4,100 crore.
Further, a new scheme to provide interest subvention @2% per annum to dairy cooperatives for 2020-21 has been launched, also providing additional 2% p.a interest subvention on prompt payment/interest servicing. This scheme will unlock Rs 5,000 crore additional liquidity, benefitting 2 crore farmers.
For fisheries Sector, all 4 COVID related announcements made on 24th March for fisheries have been implemented. Further, Registration of 242 Registered Shrimp hatcheries and Nauplii Rearing Hatcheries expiring on 31.03.2020 extended for 3 months and Operations of Marine Capture Fisheries and Aquaculture relaxed to cover Inland Fisheries.
Sitharaman said that the announcements made will provide long-term and sustained impact on lives of farmers, fishermen, food processing micro enterprises.
The Finance Minister announced several measures to strengthen Infrastructure Logistics and Capacity Building for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Processing Sectors. Rs 1 lakh crore Agri Infrastructure Fund for farm-gate infrastructure for farmers Financing facility of Rs. 1,00,000 crore will be provided for funding Agriculture Infrastructure Projects at farm-gate & aggregation points (Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies, Farmers Producer Organizations, Agriculture entrepreneurs, Start-ups, etc.).
Other focus areas include-National Animal Disease Control Programme for Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis launched with total outlay of Rs. 13,343 crore, Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund – Rs. 15,000 crore, Promotion of Herbal Cultivation: Outlay of Rs. 4,000 crore, Beekeeping initiatives – Rs 500 crore and Operation Greens run by Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MOFPI) will be extended from tomatoes, onion and potatoes to ALL fruit and vegetables.
The Government will amend Essential Commodities Act. Agriculture food stuffs including cereals, edible oils, oilseeds, pulses, onions and potato shall be deregulated. Agriculture Marketing Reforms would be carried to provide marketing choices to farmers.
A Central law will be formulated to provide adequate choices to the farmer to sell their produce at remunerative price; barrier free Inter-State Trade; a framework for e-trading of agriculture produce.