New Delhi, Delhi, 23rd of December, 2024 : The contribution of the agriculture sector to the country’s GDP has been 18 percent. Especially during the time of Covid, the whole world has come to know that India’s agriculture sector is stronger than other countries. The central government is always striving to strengthen this sector further. Expressing the Modi Government’s commitment towards this sector, Union Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Rural Development Minister, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that his Government is leaving no stone unturned towards making India the food basket of the world. Addressing the Platinum Jubilee Conference of Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (AERC) in Pune today, Shri Chouhan said that the work of researchers should not be confined to the lab only but it should be extended to the farmers as well. His government is working on many aspects in this direction. India’s culture and civilization is very old. Agriculture sector is also linked with this. Especially after the Second World War, it was India that started the work of looking at the whole world as one family and guided the whole world in this direction.
He said that this earth is not made only for humans; it is made for all living creatures like insects and moths. Calling to stop the indiscriminate use of pesticides, Shri Chouhan said that it is the need of the hour that we have to move towards natural farming and we have to take this forward with full potentials. This will add value to our production. The government is continuously working to increase the storage capacity of farmers. Taking a step forward in this direction, the Central Government is working on a new scheme to deliver the farmers’ products to distance places. Under this, the state and central governments are jointly working out plans to enable farmers to transport their products to other states and markets.
Today we are celebrating the platinum jubilee of Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (AERC) located in Pune. On this occasion, while congratulating all the researchers and students, Shri Chouhan said that what have we gained and what have we lost in these 70 years needs to be re-introspected. Emphasizing on further strengthening the technical arrangements in this direction, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that scientists and farmers associated with the agriculture sector should come together and solve their problems. Shri Chouhan said that the Central Government has started a special programme Modern Krishi Choupal on DD Kisan Channel to help farmers. This is a platform where farmers, researchers and scientists will sit together and exchange their views on the problems and new opportunities in the agriculture sector. He said that information related to agriculture sector should not be limited to English language only, it is necessary to be published in different languages of India so that the distance between labs to land can be bridged.
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi would launch the river linking project on 25 December 2024. Talking about this scheme, Shri Chouhan said that sometimes many parts of the country are experiencing flood and while others parts are seen to have affected by drought-like situations. To deal with such, a special river linking project will soon be launched under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. This scheme will benefit those areas which receive heavy rainfall and those areas which face drought. The Agriculture Minister said that we should develop such technology which can irrigate more with less water. Stressing on reducing the cost of production to boost the agriculture sector, Shri Chouhan said that last year his government had provided 1.94 metric tonnes of subsidy to farmers. If a farmer needs money immediately, he does not have to go to the money lender for this. Therefore, the government has provided him the facility of Kisan Credit Card to provide him money immediately. Between 2014 and 2024, his government is giving at least double minimum support price on many products, due to which farmers are getting relief on a large scale. He said that we should not depend on imports all the time and should make such policies which can provide more benefits to the farmers
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