[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]PM Narendra Modi for the first time interacted directly  with farmers across the country via video conferencing on Wednesday, June 20, laying stress on government’s efforts to double farmers income and fix Minimum Support Price (MSP)at 1.5 times of cost.

During a video-conference interaction, 24 farmers from nine states narrated their success stories to the prime minister and spoke how they benefited from government schemes on crop insurance, soil health, micro-irrigation, electronic national agriculture market, farm mechanisation and the establishment of farmer producer companies.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]The conference was broadcasted live on Narendra Modi Mobile App ‘NaMo app’, Doordarshan DD NewsLive, DD Kissan, and Akashvani and the All India Radio (AIR).

“For the first time, the Prime Minister is going to have a direct dialogue with farmers across the country, in which various initiatives related to doubling the income of farmers by 2022 will also be discussed,” Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Radha Mohan Singh said on Wednesday.

Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Gajendra Singh Shekhawat described the initiative as “historical”.

Progressive stories from farmers, unprecedented progress says PM

The farmers also told the Prime Minister how their incomes grew manifold in the past few years aided by new technologies and advice from local Krishi Vigyan Kendras.

India’s farm sector witnessed an “unprecedented progress” in the past few years due to record production of crops and various farmer welfare schemes launched by the government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.

“Compared to the last four years of the previous government the budget for agriculture has nearly doubled to Rs 2,12,000 crore and this shows our intent for farmer’s welfare,” PM Modi told farmers.

He added that the government is working towards its goal of doubling farmer incomes by 2022 despite an “environment of hopelessness” spread by critics.

“The measures we took are aimed at minimising costs of cultivation, protecting farmers against crop loss and ensuring they get the right price for their produce,” Modi said, adding, “in the budget this year we took a big decision by announcing that crop support prices will be fixed at 50% over production costs.”

Modi’s outreach to farmers, who have been blighted by drought and a collapse in crop prices in the first four years of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, comes ahead of crucial state polls this year and the general elections next year.

Woman farmers of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh shared their experiences

While women farmers from tribal areas of Chhattisgarh explained how they earned more through value addition of perishable produce and use of subsidized drip irrigation, those from Madhya Pradesh narrated how rearing local ‘Kadaknath’ variety of chickens changed their lives.

Farmer producer companies set up in Maharashtra explained how they were reaching consumers directly with packaged pulses, while farmers from drought-hit Karnataka said compensation from the prime minister’s flagship crop insurance scheme helps their tide over losses.

Following consecutive years of drought in 2014-15 and 2015-16, and successive years of record harvests in 2016-17 and 2017-18, farmers in several states hit the streets demanding higher crop prices and a waiver of loans. Upcoming elections in agrarian states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh are likely to intensify these protests.

The country is not just witnessing record food grain production but milk, fruit, and vegetable output too are at all-time highs.

Some highlights of Modi’s address to the farmers: 

1. Indian farmers witnessed unprecedented progress in the past few years
2. Our government is working tirelessly for our farming community
3. We have made efforts to ensure that farmers get adequate price for their produce. Our commitment towards that finds expression in this year’s budget
4. The government has doubled the budget for agriculture to Rs 2.12 lakh crore to achieve its objective of doubling farm income by 2022 and
5. Soil health cards are being provided to help farmers better understand soil nutrient status of his/her holding and advice them on the dosage of fertilisers.

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