Amit Shah Highlights Government’s Farmer-Centric Policies and Export Boost in First 100 Days

NEW DELHI (Economy India): Union Minister for Cooperation Amit Shah announced on Tuesday that the central government has implemented several farmer-friendly policies in the first 100 days of its third term, with a focus on enhancing agricultural productivity and improving exports.

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Detailed Overview

1. Comprehensive Policy Implementation

• Total Investment: The government has introduced policies amounting to ₹15 lakh crore across 14 key sectors within the first 100 days of its third term.
• Key Policy: The Prime Minister’s Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) scheme has been highlighted as a major achievement, with ₹20,000 crore distributed to 9.3 crore farmers.

2. Prime Minister’s Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) Scheme

• Distribution: Recently, the 70th installment of the PM-Kisan scheme has been disbursed. So far, ₹3 lakh crore has been distributed to 12.33 crore farmers.
• Benefit Details: The scheme provides an annual benefit of ₹6,000 per farmer, which is directly credited to eligible farmers’ bank accounts through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system.

3. Agricultural Policy Initiatives

• Objective: The policies have been implemented with the primary aim of boosting the welfare and prosperity of the farming community, enhancing food production, and increasing exports.
• Support for Farmers: The government has increased the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the 2024-25 Kharif (summer) crops, reflecting its commitment to farmers’ financial security.

4. Boosting Ethanol Production

• Innovation: To promote ethanol production, sugar mills are being converted into ‘multi-feed distilleries.’ These mills will now be able to produce ethanol from both sugarcane juice and maize.
• Operational Efficiency: During high sugar production periods, ethanol will be produced from sugarcane juice. Conversely, when the demand for sugarcane juice for sugar production is high, ethanol will be made from maize.

5. Enhancing Export Policies

• Policy Change: The Minimum Export Price (MEP) on onions and basmati rice has been removed to facilitate and encourage exports.

6. Government’s Commitment to Farmers

• Comparison with Previous Regime: Shah emphasized that compared to the previous UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government, the current NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government has purchased a higher quantity of crops at MSP, demonstrating a strong commitment to farmer welfare.
• Strategic Goals: These initiatives are part of a comprehensive strategy aimed at improving farmer welfare and boosting India’s agricultural exports.

(Economy India)

Date: September 17, 2024
Source: (PTI)

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