Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan continued to respond to the discussion on the functioning of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in the Rajya Sabha on Monday. On Friday, Shivraj’s reply had to be interrupted due to private members’ business. Shivraj targeted the Congress and its leaders from the beginning of his address. He said that the Congress talked about direct assistance for farmers, but did not make such a plan. PM Modi understood. Even though this amount is six thousand rupees, it is of great help for marginal and small farmers. Due to this small amount, the respect of the farmer has increased, he has become self-reliant, development has gained momentum. They cannot see the respect of the farmer.
Citing a report, he said that Samman Nidhi has also increased the risk-taking capacity of farmers. Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that in the Congress government, Digvijay Singh ji is sitting in front of him, his hands are stained with the blood of 24 farmers. He also counted the incidents of firing on farmers in Bihar in 1986, Delhi in 1988 and Meerut, Multai, Nandigram and the figures of farmers killed in these firings. When Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was counting these figures, the opposition Congress members walked out of the Rajya Sabha.
Agriculture Minister Shivraj presented data of the mention of farmers in the speeches of Prime Ministers from Pandit Nehru to Congress-led governments on August 15 and also told how many times Narendra Modi used the word farmer in his speech from the ramparts of Red Fort. Without taking the name of Rahul Gandhi, he said that one of their leaders had gone on a tour. He went to Sonipat, cameras were installed in the field. Where to focus was already decided. When he went to the field, he asked the cameramen where to stand, how to do what. Shivraj said that farmer welfare will not happen through drama. We have videos. They talk about farmers. I am a farmer’s son and I do farming myself.
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On this, Chairman Dhankhar asked him to authenticate it. Shivraj put a pen drive on the table of the House to authenticate it. He further said that they had a leader, when he heard that the price of red chilli is more than green chilli, he started saying why don’t they cultivate red chilli. Shivraj said that farmers had complained to me that the person who had sown sugarcane was given compensation for wheat. This system needs to be corrected. For this, the government is going to start Digital Agriculture Mission. Navigation will be used in this.
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He said that we are trying to find out how small farmers can earn profit from small land holdings. We are building a model farm to show how profitable farming can be done even on one hectare. Shivraj said that the use of fertilizers proved to be a boon for filling our food reserves. It was used indiscriminately which had a negative impact. He said that the use of fertilizers is necessary but using it beyond a limit is also spoiling the health of the crop and the land. The fertility of the land is decreasing, friendly insects are being killed.
We have to increase exports in agriculture
The Agriculture Minister said that earthworms used to be the greatest friends. They have vanished. He said that the time has come that we will have to think about natural farming while maintaining production. The government is starting a natural farming mission. He said that one crore farmers will be made aware. Natural farming will be started in seven and a half lakh hectares of land. We will not start in the entire land, but in less land, let’s see. Scientists are also praising it. Shivraj said that we have to increase exports in agriculture. He also counted the export figures and said that the export of rice, spices, peanuts, sugar has increased. There are immense possibilities of export, the government will exploit them.
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With the lines ‘… just creating a ruckus is not our aim’, he said that in the next five years our aim will be to develop crop varieties in this era of climate change. The Agriculture Minister said that the PM is going to dedicate 109 new varieties to the farmers. Water, land, climate, forest, animals, people… everything will have to be tied together. If anyone understood this feeling, it is the BJP and the Narendra Modi government. He said that in five years, horticulture clusters will be created at a cost of 18 thousand crores, 1500 mandis will be integrated to make farmers’ access to the market easy. We are going to start the oilseed mission, we are going to make amendments under the Pesticide Amendment Act, we are going to make 50 thousand villages climate friendly.
Will also talk to farmer organizations
Shivraj said in a poetic style- ‘I know that there is a limit to time, but what can I do, my every breath is for the farmers.’ He said that politics should not be done on the issue of farmers. We called the agriculture ministers of different states and discussed the problems and tried to find a solution. There are problems in agriculture, there is a solution to them too. We will talk to the farmers as well as farmer organizations and move towards a solution through dialogue. We will leave no stone unturned in the welfare of agriculture and farmers. On this, the chairman said that Minister, enter the heart of the farmer and solve every problem. There can be no bigger priority than this. It will also help in the development of the country.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)