Big Promises For Agriculture-Finance Minister tabling union budget 2020-21
The finance minister (FM) while tabling union budget 2020-21 focused on agriculture and rural development. Agri-irrigation & rural development by Doubling Farmers' Income remains a focus area. Micro-irrigation via Krishi Sichai Yojna, PM KISAN and Organic farming also stayed at the focus in the budget. FM blamed incentive regime for excessive use of fertilizers in farm fields and stressed on the need to follow zero budget natural farming up to some extent is necessary said FM a vision that has been introduced during the previous budget. Sustainable cooperation for agricultural development is required and cooperation of states with 16 action points has also been discussed. An overall farmers transformation with a massive budget allocation of 2.83 lakh crore rs for 2020-21. The agri credit of Rs 15 lakh crore will be extended to farmers also the PM KISAN beneficiaries will be benefited by default. Interesting part was an idea of diversification where farmers having barren lands to be encouraged to generate solar power and send it to grids. This will generate a sustainable income for them ensures the Finance Minister.
A cold storage capacity of 1062 million metric tonnes for storage and warehousing will be mapped and geotagged by NABARD to improve it. This massive capacity will be facilitated by public private partnership (PPP) model and the current target will be 15 lakh farmers by the end of this year. Fin Min has also stressed on last line farmers storage capacity improvement via NABARDs help and Mudra Yojna, it will benefit them by reducing logistics costs and earn them more announced she. The negotiable e-receipts will also help E-NAM and improve connectivity said the FM. A dairy produce capacity of 53.5 million metric tonnes has been targeted to be doubled by the year 2025 may be termed as the very target that was proposed by FM during her budget address. A marine fishery production capacity of 200 lakh tonnes also remains in focus with a new regime of fishery farmers producer organisation along with the Sagarmitra's trained by the government. For better development of meat and poultry industry trains will be fitted with refrigerated containers and exports will also be boosted for the same with the introduction of Krishi Udan scheme by the ministry of aviation. A horticulture cluster mapping has been a repeated focus area by FM. Along with Rs 2.83 lakh crore allocation for agriculture and allied activities an amount of Rs 1.23 lakh crore budget has been allocated for improvement of Panchayati raj. MNREGA will also be stressed upon to development of necessary rural infrastructure development so that wastage of efforts can be reduced. A new scheme of BHARATNET will also connect 1 lakh gram panchayats proposed FM.
