16-pt plan for agri sector

A sum of Rs 2.83 lakh crore has been earmarked for agriculture, allied activities, irrigation & rural development. This includes Rs1.60 lakh crore for agriculture, irrigation and allied activities; and Rs1.23 lakh crore for rural development and panchayati raj

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 1

Aiming to push up the beleaguered agriculture sector by 2022 — the deadline set by the Modi government for doubling farmers’ income — Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today announced a 16-point action plan, including “Krishi Udan” and “Kisan Rail” schemes.

The focus was on storage, transportation, solar energy, blue economy, animal husbandry and exports. Proposing “one product, one district” for better marketing and export of horticulture crops that exceed foodgrain production, she sought to encourage states to go in for early implementation of three key central model laws on land leasing, agriculture produce and livestock marketing and contract farming to libersalise agri-market.

She talked of setting up a seamless cold supply chain for perishables like fruits, milk, meat and fish for which the Railways would set up “Kisan Rail” through PPP mode, while the Civil Aviation Ministry would ensure “Krishi Udan” on international and national routes to help farmers improve value realisation, especially in North-East and tribal districts.

The PM-KUSUM Scheme will be expanded. Farmers having fallow and barren land can set up units to produce solar power and sell it to grids to supplement their income.

The FM said the government was proposing comprehensive measures for 100 water-stressed districts. To change the prevailing incentive regime that encourages excessive use of chemical fertilisers, she said, the government would encourage balanced use of all kinds of fertilisers, including traditional organic fertilisers.

Overall, the FM announced Rs 1.60 lakh crore for agriculture, irrigation and allied services, besides 11 per cent hike in farm credit target to take it up to Rs 15 lakh crore for 2020-21 from the current target of Rs 13.5 lakh crore.

The FM said the NABARD re-finance scheme would be further expanded. The financing on Negotiable Warehousing Receipts (e-NWR) has crossed Rs 6,000 crore and it will now be integrated with electronic National Agriculture Market (eNAM), she added.

India has an estimated capacity of 162 million tonnes of agri-warehousing, cold storage, reefer van facilities etc. NABARD will map and geo-tag them. The FM also proposed a “village storage scheme” by women self-help groups.