New Delhi, March 28
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday lauded the Modi government's efforts to support farmers, highlighting record subsidies on fertilisers, infrastructure development under PM-JANMAN Yojana, and key decisions on import-export duties to boost domestic agriculture.
"I thank PM Modi and his government for working continuously to increase the income of farmers," Chauhan told media reporters.
Drawing a sharp contrast with the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, Chouhan criticized the steep hike in fertiliser prices during their tenure.
"The government bears the cost of increased prices of fertilisers, especially DAP. The Modi government is a well-wisher of farmers, but if you look at the UPA government, till 2011, the price of 500 kg of DAP was Rs 507.50 and the UPA government increased the price to Rs 887.46 in 2011-12 and to Rs 1315.56 in 2012-13," he said, adding that the Modi government has prevented any price hikes by extending massive subsidies.
He revealed that for the current fiscal year, the Centre has allocated approximately Rs 1.75 lakh crore in fertiliser subsidies, ensuring stable prices for farmers.
"The Modi government decided that the cost will not increase at all and so huge subsidies are being given to farmers and this year, a subsidy of about Rs 1,75,000 crore has been given to provide cheap fertilisers and I assure farmers that the cost of fertiliser will remain the same," he said.
"In the Kharif season, a subsidy of Rs 37,216 crore will be given for the same. The government decided to keep the import duty on lentils at 11 per cent, which means that there will be less import of lentils from outside, hence benefitting the farmers. The import duty on 'Chana' will be 10 per cent. 377 roads of 738.99 km length costing Rs 508.29 crore have been approved under PM-JANMAN Yojana. Huge support is being given for roads so that villages can be connected and the benefits reach the poor, farmers."
"The mantra of Modi government is clear--give farmers a fair price for their hard work," Chouhan asserted, reiterating the Centre's commitment to pro-farmer governance.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Finally some good news for our farmers! The fertilizer subsidies will make a real difference in their daily lives. PM-JANMAN roads will help connect remote villages too ðŸ‘
While I appreciate the subsidies, I wish the government would also focus more on organic farming initiatives. Chemical fertilizers can't be the only solution long-term.
My uncle is a farmer in UP and he's seen real benefits from these policies. The stable fertilizer prices help him plan his crops better. More roads mean his produce reaches market faster!
The numbers look impressive but I wonder how much actually reaches small farmers vs big agribusinesses. Would love to see more transparency in subsidy distribution.
Great to see infrastructure development getting attention! Better roads = less spoilage = more income for farmers. This is the kind of practical support that matters 💯
The import duties on lentils and chana make sense to protect our farmers. Hope this leads to better prices for their crops this season 🤞
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