New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that earlier this month, a new record has been created by transferring an amount of Rs 12,000 crores to the bank accounts of 6 crore farmers through direct transfer.
The prime minister was addressing the third Global Potato Conclave at Gandhinagar, Gujarat through Video Conferencing today. He said India has become one of the top three nations in production of certain food grains and food products due to hard work of farmers and the government policies.
“The priority of the government is to reduce middlemen and other layers between the farmer and the consumer,” he said.
“The government’s emphasis is also on promoting agricultural technology-based start ups so that farmers’ databases and agri stacks needed for smart and precision agriculture can be used,” he added.
The PM said that the Government is taking rapid steps towards the goal of doubling the income of farmers by 2022.
He also listed the steps taken by his government to promote food processing industries at every level like opening the sector to 100 per cent FDI, helping in value addition and value chain development through PM Kisan Sampada Yojana.
The Prime Minister said that it is significant that the 3rd Global Potato Conclave is being held in Gujarat, the leading state in Potato production and productivity in the country.
“While the area under potato cultivation increased by about 20 per cent in India in the last eleven years, it has increased by about 170 per cent in Gujarat during the same period,” he said.
Modi said that due to policy initiatives and decisions, the state is using modern methods of agriculture like sprinkler and drip irrigation for cultivation, along with the best cold storage facilities and linkages to the Food Processing Industry.
He said today Gujarat has major potato processing companies and that most of the potato exporters are also based in the state. “This has led to the emergence of the state as a major potato hub in the country,” he said.
On the occasion, he also urged the scientists to provide solutions to various issues in agriculture through modern biotechnology, Artificial Intelligence, Block chain and Drone Technology.
“The greatest responsibility of the scientific community and policy makers is to see that no one is left hungry or malnourished,” he added.
The Conclave is being organized by Indian Potato Association (IPA) in collaboration with Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, and ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla and International Potato Center (CIP), Lima, Peru.
