Modi Reaches Out To Farmers In Bihar, As Elections Approach

New Delhi:With the crucial Bihar elections approaching, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reached out to the farmers and the country's agrarian sector. Addressing a post-budget webinar on "Agriculture and Rural Prosperity", the Prime Minister said that his government not only considers agriculture as the "first engine of development" but is also working towards building an India where "farmers are prosperous and empowered".

Highlighting that this year's Budget is the first full Budget of the BJP-led NDA government's third term, Mr Modi pointed out the continuity in policies and a new expansion of the vision for ‘Viksit Bharat’.

“Our resolve towards the goal of Viksit Bharat is clear. Together, we are building an India where farmers are prosperous and empowered,” he said and highlighted that the effort is to ensure no farmer is left behind and to advance every farmer.

The Prime Minister stated that agriculture is considered the first engine of development, giving farmers a place of pride. “India is simultaneously working towards two major goals: the development of the agriculture sector and the prosperity of villages,” he said.

Mr Modi highlighted that the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, implemented six years ago, has provided nearly `3.75-lakh crores to farmers and the amount has been directly transferred to the accounts of 11-crore farmers.

The Prime Minister emphasised that the annual financial assistance of `6,000 is strengthening the rural economy and a farmer-centric digital infrastructure has been created to ensure the benefits of this scheme reach farmers across the country, eliminating any scope for intermediaries or leakages.

Mr Modi mentioned that the government is now working swiftly to implement the announcements made in this year's Budget and sought continued cooperation of experts and visionary individuals.

Underlining that India's agricultural production has reached record levels, the Prime Minister said that 10-11 years ago, agricultural production was around 265 million tonnes, which has now increased to over 330 million tonnes.

“Similarly, horticultural production has exceeded 350 million tonnes,” he said and attributed this success to the government’s approach from seed to market, agricultural reforms, farmer empowerment and a strong value chain.

Mr Modi further emphasised the need to fully utilise the country's agricultural potential and achieve even bigger targets. “In this direction, the Budget has announced the ‘PM Dhan Dhanya Krishi Yojana’, focusing on the development of the 100 least productive agricultural districts,” he said and further mentioned the positive results seen from the "aspirational districts" programme on various development parameters, benefiting from collaboration, convergence and healthy competition.

The Prime Minister urged everyone to study the outcomes from these districts and apply the learnings to advance the PM Dhan Dhanya Krishi Yojana, which will help increase farmers' income in these 100 districts.

Pointing out that in the past decade, ICAR has utilised modern tools and cutting-edge technologies in its breeding programme, and as a result, over 2,900 new varieties of crops, including grains, oilseeds, pulses, fodder and sugarcane, have been developed between 2014 and 2024, Mr Modi emphasised the need to ensure that these new varieties are available to farmers at affordable rates and that their produce is not affected by weather fluctuations.

The Prime Minister talked about the announcement of a national mission for high-yield seeds in this year's Budget and urged private sector participants to focus on the dissemination of these seeds, ensuring they reach small farmers by becoming part of the seed chain.

Mr Modi remarked that there is a growing awareness about nutrition among people today and underscored that significant investments have been made in sectors such as horticulture, dairy and fishery products to meet the increasing demand.

The Prime Minister stated that various programs were being implemented to boost the production of fruits and vegetables and the formation of the Makhana Board in Bihar has been announced. He urged all stakeholders to explore new ways to promote diverse nutritional foods, ensuring their reach to every corner of the country and the global market.

Mr Modi further urged stakeholders to brainstorm ideas to promote ease of doing business in this sector and start working on them as soon as possible. He also stressed the importance of protecting the interests of traditional fishermen.

“Our government is committed to enriching the rural economy,” he said and highlighted that under the PM Awas Yojana-Gramin, crores of poor people are being provided with homes and the Swamitva Yojana has given property owners "record of rights".

The Prime Minister noted that the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana has benefitted small farmers and businesses. Reiterating the goal to create 3 crore "Lakhpati Didis", while efforts have already resulted in 1.25 crore women becoming Lakhpati Didis, Mr Modi stated that the announcements in this Budget for rural prosperity and development programs have created numerous new employment opportunities.

“Investments in skilling and technology are generating new opportunities,” Mr Modi said.