Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the Centre had increased the agriculture budget more than fivefold since 2013-14 and that farmers had received financial benefits or savings worth over Rs 50 lakh crore through government schemes and policy measures.
Addressing farmers in Bhildi, Gujarat’s Banaskantha district, PM Modi highlighted five major initiatives — PM-KISAN, fertiliser subsidies, minimum support prices (MSP), crop insurance and solar pumps — to explain the financial support provided to the farming community.
He said the government had directly transferred around Rs 4.5 lakh crore into the bank accounts of small farmers through PM-KISAN.
PM Modi noted that small farmers account for more than 85 per cent of the farming community and said the scheme aimed to provide them with direct income support.
The Prime Minister also said farmers had received more than Rs 2 lakh crore in compensation under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana over the past 10-12 years.
Highlighting solar-powered irrigation, he said the PM-KUSUM scheme had provided around 12 lakh solar pumps, reducing farmers’ dependence on electricity and diesel.
He added that farmers would otherwise have needed more than 80 crore litres of diesel to operate these pumps.
PM Modi highlighted over 26 crore Soil Health Cards and nearly 3,000 new seed varieties introduced to help farmers improve cultivation and adapt to climate change.
During his two-day Gujarat visit, he launched projects worth over Rs 14,000 crore in Banaskantha and released the 24th PM-KISAN instalment, reiterating the government’s focus on raising farm incomes and reducing cultivation costs.
Also Read: PM Modi Releases 24th PM-KISAN Instalment Of Rs 18,680 Crore To 9.34 Crore Farmers
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