Agriculture: Good initiatives well taken
but crop research needs regulatory push
While the first priority of the central government was to take up effective
initiatives to fight the challenges prevailing in agricultural sector, it has to now
ensure that there is a push to the innovation in research as well
BY SACHIN ARYA
I
n the last two years, the government has chalked out a
plan to reduce the input cost in the agriculture sector
and to provide farmers better return for their
produce. Government is taking a number of initiatives to
minimize the cost of agricultural production. With this
goal in mind, 14 crore farmers in the country are being
given Soil Health Cards. Apart from this, Paramparagat
Krishi Vikas Yojana has been launched to promote
organic farming. Neem Coated Urea, improved varieties
of seeds and planting material, schemes like Pradhan
Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana have been introduced.
As per the union agriculture and farmers welfare
minister, Mr Radha Mohan Singh, “Prime Minister, Mr
Narender Modi has taken the resolve to double the
income of farmers. The government is also giving priority
to the enterprises linked to agricultural sector so as to
achieve this target.”
Farmers are also being provided agricultural loans on
concessional rate. The norms related to disaster relief
have been altered to help the farmers affected by natural
calamities so that they are compensated for the losses
appropriately. The discrepancies existing in crop
insurance schemes have been removed and a new scheme
called Pradhan Mantri Fasal Beema Yojana has been
launched.
The Government has taken a historical initiative to
provide farmers better return of their produce. The
concept of one nation and one mandi – has been taken
ahead. The long pending mandi/ marketing reforms
process has been accelerated. The pilot project related to
e-mandi has been launched in this financial year. Under
this, 21 mandis of 8 states have been linked so far. The
government is continuously making efforts to bring
uniformity in the rules and regulations pertaining to
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