FAO's highest honour for PM Modi, a recognition of India's agricultural policies: PMFME beneficiary
Bhopal, May 22
The felicitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation's highest honour "Agricola Medal" during his visit to Italy, has been described by the farming community as a "proud and exciting' moment for India.
Shubham Tiwari, a Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) beneficiary saw this as global recognition of India's agricultural policies.
Tiwari, who is also the founder-operator of Granoxy Unit, said the honour for PM Modi was not just a personal accolade, but a global recognition of India's agricultural policies, its food security model, and its farmer-centric approach.
Speaking to IANS, he said that the world today views India as a strong leader in the realms of agricultural and nutritional security and under PM Modi's leadership, India has achieved historic milestones in the food security and agricultural sectors.
Putting the spotlight on various path-breaking initiatives, Tiwari added that the current Indian government is providing successful delivery of free rations to 800 million people, providing direct financial assistance to millions of farmers through Kisan Samman Nidhi and by incorporating technology, infrastructure, and digital systems in the agricultural sector, all this has yielded tangible benefits for the farming community.
The young entrepreneur also asserted that the entire world is now closely observing India's food security model and agricultural policies.
Commenting on millets, digital agriculture, and farmer welfare schemes, Shubham Tiwari said that Prime Minister Modi's leadership has ushered in transformative changes across these sectors.
He noted that India has played a pivotal role in securing global recognition for millets, which are now widely regarded across the world as a "superfood".
He said that, through Granoxy, he is personally working in the Shahdol region (in Madhya Pradesh) with farmers, women's self-help groups, and the millet-based food ecosystem.
At the grassroots level, awareness of and demand for millets are rising rapidly, thereby boosting farmers' incomes, improving nutrition, and promoting sustainable farming.
He noted that digital platforms, Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT), and technology-driven agricultural schemes have played a pivotal role in delivering benefits directly to farmers.
This transformation is not confined merely to policy documents; rather, it is tangibly visible in the villages.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Good news, but let's not pretend everything is perfect. While Kisan Samman Nidhi helps, many small farmers still struggle with debt and erratic monsoons. The recognition is nice, but ground-level implementation needs more work. Still, happy to see India's efforts acknowledged! 👍
As someone from a farming family in Punjab, I can vouch for the free ration scheme - it saved many families during COVID. The millet push is also brilliant, we're growing jowar again after decades. PM Modi has brought dignity back to our farmers. Well deserved honour! 🌾
Very encouraging to see India's food security model gaining global respect. The DBT system has reduced corruption in subsidies. However, we still need more investment in cold storage and supply chains - farmers in remote areas still lose produce. Let's build on this foundation!
Interesting to read this from an international perspective. It's wonderful that India is being recognized for its agricultural innovations. The millet awareness is especially important globally - these grains truly are superfoods for sustainable nutrition.
The PMFME scheme is actually working! My cousin in Bihar started a small pickle-making unit with the help and now supplies to two cities. Such micro-enterprises are changing lives in villages. The world noticing our progress makes us proud! 🌟
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