Farm reforms will help turn farmers into entrepreneurs: Modi
Opportunities are being created to take farming and farmers from the role of annadata (food provider) to entrepreneurship, he says
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday termed the recent farm bills passed in the Parliament as his government’s “historic” reforms that will create opportunities to take farmers to entrepreneurship.
Modi, while speaking after releasing the autobiography of late former Union minister Balasaheb Vikhe Patil via video conferencing, said that his government is focused on increasing the income of farmers by creating more opportunities. The 713-page Marathi autobiography is titled Deh Vechava Karani (dedicating one’s life for a noble cause).
“Opportunities are being created to take farming and farmers from the role of annadata (food provider) to entrepreneurship. Whether it is implementing or increasing the Minimum Support Price (MSP) or, urea neem coating and better crop insurance. The government has taken various steps for farmers,” said Modi, who also renamed the Pravara Rural Education Society in Ahmednagar district after the Padma Bhushan recipient.
The prime minister said the direct transfer of Rs one lakh crore in the bank accounts of farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana is an example of how all hurdles are being removed for those producing food for everyone.
“All this money was transferred without any middlemen involved. Not only this, there has been unprecedented work on setting up cold chains, mega food parks and agro processing infrastructure,” said Modi.
Citing Late Vikhe Patil’s contribution in cooperative movement in Maharashtra, Modi said high sugar production in the state along with milk movement in Gujarat and wheat movement in Haryana and Punjab are the models of local enterprise that has taken the country forward.
The prime minister also applauded previous Devendra Fadnavis’ government in Maharashtra saying it was known to every village and household for its work in water sector. “Under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayi Yojana, 26 long-pending irrigation schemes from Maharashtra were expedited and work on nine of them was completed,” Modi said. According to Modi, work began on 90 irrigation schemes during July 2018.
“Around four lakh hectare land will be provided irrigation facility when these schemes are completed in two-three years,” he said.
Modi said that microfinance has a special role in the economy and social order of villages, adding that under the Centres Mudra Yojana, self-employment possibilities have gone up.
