Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday urged farmers to strengthen natural, chemical-free farming and place greater emphasis on agricultural exports.
Speaking at an online seminar on agriculture and rural development, Modi said agriculture remains a key pillar of India’s economy and plays a major role in the country’s long-term growth. He stressed the need to ensure that every rupee allocated in the Union Budget is used for its intended purpose.
He called for making the farm sector more export-oriented and said farmers must be prepared to handle India’s varied climate-related challenges. Modi also noted that the Budget has given additional importance to coconut for the benefit of farmers in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Referring to welfare measures, he said farmers have benefited from loans of over Rs 4 lakh crore under the PM-Kisan scheme. He added that various government schemes have helped address farmers’ problems by providing basic economic security and reducing risks.
Modi also underlined the need to improve the quality of agricultural produce and said the government is focusing on rural development. He said a target has been set to bring an additional 3 crore women into self-help groups by 2029, and called for encouraging states to prioritise agriculture.
