BUDGET FOR STRENGTHENING AGRICULTURE, FARMERS AND RURAL INDIA

Introduction:

• In budget 2020-21 a clear blueprint is presented for ensuring the overall growth of the agriculture sector, improving the economic condition of the farmers and all-round development of rural India.

Ease of living has been underlined in the budget in the form of three major subjects:

1. agriculture, irrigation and rural development
2. wellness, water and sanitation and
3. education and skills.

• By improving the conditions of agriculture and farmers, not only standard of living of 70% of the population can be transformed, but the dream of ‘New India’ can also be realized.

Budget Announcements:

A. Agriculture:

• The Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj are brought under one umbrella so that concrete policies and strategies can be implemented keeping their inter-linkages at the core.
• A 16-point action plan has been introduced for agriculture, irrigation and rural development. A provision of Rs. 2.83 lakh crores has been made in the Budget.

B. Agriculture Credit:

• During the year 2020-21, institutional lending of Rs. 15 lakh crore to farmers has been targeted. This will ensure availability of more loans to farmers on low interest and easy terms of agricultural operations.
• All the beneficiaries of PM-KISAN Yojana will be linked to Kisan Credit scheme and NABARD’s refinance plan will be made more comprehensive.
• A comprehensive action plan will be prepared for 100 water-stressed districts in the country.

C. Irrigation and Income Enhancement

• To transform Annadata (food giver) to Urjadata (energy provider), the Budget has proposed to make “PM Kusum Yojana” comprehensive. Under this, solar units will be installed in the fields and connected to power grid.
• This plan envisions production of 25750 MW solar power by the year 2022. Under PM Kusum Yojana, 20 lakhs farmers will be assisted in installing solar power pumps.
• In addition, financial assistance will be provided to 15 lakh farmers to operate grid connected pump sets with solar power. Assistance will be provided to farmers to set up solar power plants on their fallow or barren land.

D. Storage and Marketing:

• The government has announced introduction of Kisan Rail Service through PPP for transportation of farm produce. AC farmer goods trains will be run for transportation. Refrigerated coaches will be attached in express and goods trains.
• It is proposed to create a seamless national cold supply chain.
• Krishi Udaan Yojana will also be launched. The service will be operated on both national and international air routes.
• This will enable agricultural produce from the NE region and tribal areas to reach the market in a short time. Krishi Udaan will also make it possible to sell agricultural products abroad.
• The government has also decided to build a warehouse in every village for safe storage of farmers’ grains. Farmers will be linked to storage systems operated by SHGs with the aim of reducing logistics costs on products.
• Food Corporation of India and Central Warehousing Corporation will also build such store houses on their land. Funding carried out on negotiable warehousing receipt will be integrated with e-NAM.
• The state governments implementing Model Acts like Agricultural Produce Market Act and Contract Farming will be given incentives.

E. Blue Economy:

• Under the blue economy, the target for export of fish by year 2024-25 is kept at Rs. 1 lakh crore. The target of increasing fish production to 200 lakh tonnes by the year 2022-23 will be emphasized.
• To promote fisheries sector, youth will be involved in it by 3477 Sagar Mitras and 500 fish farmer producers’ organisations. The cultivation of algae and seaweeds and cage culture would be promoted.
• The budget also hints at giving the status of farmer to fishermen. This will make fishermen entitled to government benefits being given to the agriculture sector.

F. Sustainable Agriculture and Horticulture:

• In order to improve the marketing and export system in the horticulture sector, “One Product One District” scheme has been chosen in the budget.
• Emphasis has been laid in the budget on promoting use of conventional organic fertilizers in order to curtail the excessive use of chemical fertilizers.
• “Organic framing portal” will be launched to strengthen the online national market of organic products.

G. Women and Agriculture:

• The proposal to strengthen natural farming and to expand integrated farming system in rainfed areas for irrigation has also been made in this Budget.
• The budget has given full attention to the self-reliance of women in rural areas and as result “Dhaanya Laxmi Yojana” has been announced. Under this scheme, women will be specially linked to seed-related programmes.
• Women farmers will be given training in quality-checking of seeds and scientific farming. Loans and financial assistance will be given to SHGs of these women to involve them on a large scale in various storage schemes.

H. Livestock:

• Livestock has recorded 8% increase during the last five years. Currently, India is the largest milk producer in the world.
• The Budget has set a target of doubling milk production by the year 2025.
• Milk processing capacity will be raised to 108 million metric tonnes from the current 53.5 million metric tonnes.
• The coverage of artificial insemination will be raised from present 30% to 70%. Convergence of MGNREGS will be done for development of pastures.
• A special action plan will be prepared to eradicate Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) of cattle and Peste de Petits Ruminants (PPR), also known as Ovine Rinderpest (which affects sheep and goats)completely by the year 2025.
• In milieu to indigenous dairy sector to insulate it against cheap imports decimating the industry, the budget has done away with the concessional basic customs duty of 15% on imports of upto 10,000 tonnes of Skimmed Milk Powder in any financial year.
• That concession under the extant Tariff Quota Regime has been withdrawn and all imports would henceforth attract a uniform 60% duty.
• What the govt. in the budget has done is to hike the import duty on all dairy products to the maximum permissible bound rates under the rules of the WTO in order to help facilitate better procurement prices for farmers in the dairy business.

I. Infrastructure:

• The govt has announced expenditure of Rs. 103 lakh crore over the next five years in infrastructure related to the development of roads, electricity, water, rail, airports and metro.
• Under UDAN scheme, 100 new airports will be developed by yr. 2024. Currently, there are only 600 airplanes in the country. There is a plan to increase this number to 1200.
• Before 2024, 6000 kms of highways will be laid and 9000 kms of economic corridors will be built. Roads covering 2000 kms will be built in coastal areas. Construction of 2000 kms of roads in strategic areas including North-east will be undertaken.
• It has also been promised to complete the work of Delhi-Mumbai Expressway by the year 2023 and start work of Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway soon.
• The government will soon come up with a policy to create Data Centre Parks across the country through the private sector. This year, under the BharatNet, one lakh gram panchayats will be connected to Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH).

J. Environment:

• The budget provision of Rs. 4400 crore for clean air programme is an important announcement of the government.

Conclusion:

• There was a time when the main thrust of the country’s agricultural policy was based on increasing the yield, but today we are self-reliant in foodgrains.
• Now we talk about doubling the income of the farmer, raising his standard of living and providing him with urban facilities.

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Courtesy: Kurukshetra