PM Modi to Lead Post-Budget Webinar on High-Value Agriculture & Rural Transformation

Under this theme, PM Modi is holding eight different webinar sessions covering four major sectors that include agriculture, animal husbandry and dairying; fisheries and rural livelihoods.

The post-budget webinar will focus on promoting high-value agriculture by unlocking the potential of crops such as cashew, coconut, sandalwood, agarwood, almonds, walnuts, and pine nuts. It will also deliberate on the opportunities offered by Bharat Vistaar, the AI-powered Digital Public Infrastructure for Agriculture, the statement said.

Besides, the sessions will also deliberate upon private sector investment and entrepreneurship in the animal husbandry value chain, integrated development of reservoirs and Amrit Sarovars for fisheries, strengthening coastal fisheries value chains, and expanding market access for products made by rural women entrepreneurs through self-help Entrepreneurs-Marketing Avenues for Rural Transformation (SHE-Marts).

The Union Budget 2026-27 placed a strong emphasis on high-value agriculture, allied sectors and technology-led farming, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposing targeted interventions to boost farmer incomes, create rural employment and modernise agricultural practices. She announced an allocation of Rs 1,62,671 crore for the agriculture sector in the Union Budget, up 7 per cent from 2025-26's revised estimate of Rs 1,51,853, outlining the continued focus on farmer welfare, food security and rural livelihoods.

The ministry's outlay has shot up in recent years from about Rs 21,933.50 crore in 2013-14 to approximately Rs 1,51,853 crore in the 2025-26 Budget Estimates, underscoring the rising fiscal support to the sector.

The Budget 2026-27 aims for a big push to high-value crops such as coconut, sandalwood, cocoa and cashew in the coastal areas to enhance the incomes of farmers. Agar trees in the North East region and nuts such as almonds, walnuts and pine nuts in the country's hilly areas will also be supported.

The proposal forms part of the broad roadmap in the Budget for achieving the third Kartavya, which "requires targeted efforts for increasing farmer incomes through productivity enhancement and entrepreneurship", the Finance Minister said.

Sitharaman said that about 30 million people, including nearly 10 million farmers, depend on coconuts for their livelihood. To further enhance competitiveness, a Coconut Promotion Scheme has been announced to increase production and enhance productivity through various interventions, including replacing old and non-productive trees with new saplings and plant varieties in major coconut-growing states.

As another step towards the objective of increasing farmers' income, the Union Budget 2026-27 has also proposed a dedicated programme for Indian cashew and cocoa to make India self-reliant in raw cashew and cocoa production and processing, enhance export competitiveness and transform Indian cashew and Indian cocoa into premium global brands by 2030.

- IANS