New Delhi: The government revealed seven major schemes on Monday to boost the overall development of agriculture and related industries, amounting to almost Rs 14,000 crore, in order to enhance the earnings of farmers. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union Cabinet has given its approval for seven major programs in the agricultural sector, such as a Rs 2,817-crore digital agriculture mission and a Rs 3,979-crore scheme for crop science.
Speaking to journalists, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasized that these inclusive initiatives aim to increase farmers' revenue. These programs will concentrate on research and education, climate resilience, natural resource management, and digitization in agriculture, with a particular focus on the growth of horticulture and livestock industries.
The Cabinet has granted its approval for crop science in food and nutritional security programs with a total budget of Rs 3,979 crore. Six pillars have been integrated into the program to equip farmers for climate-resistant crop sciences and food security by 2047.
These six pillars include Research and Education; Management of Plant Genetic Resources; Genetic enhancement for food and fodder crops; Enhancement of pulse and oilseed crops; Improvement of commercially grown crops; and Investigation of insects, microbes, and pollinators.
The Cabinet agreed to allocate Rs 2,291 crore for enhancing agricultural education, management, and social sciences. This program will fall within the jurisdiction of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. The goal is to update agricultural research and education to align with the New Education Policy 2020. Promotion of cutting-edge technology such as Digital DPI, AI, big data, remote, etc. will be encouraged, along with activities like natural farming and climate resilience in the programme.
The Cabinet has also given its approval for the Digital Agriculture Mission, which will receive a total funding of Rs 2,817 crore. The project is built on two key pillars - Agri Stack and Krishi Decision Support System.
The minister approved a scheme worth Rs 1,702 crore for the sustainable health and production of livestock. The Cabinet has approved additional significant plans involving sustainable development in horticulture (Rs 860 crore), enhancing Krishi Vigyan Kendra (Rs 1,202 crore), and Natural Resource Management (Rs 1,115 crore). The combined total for all seven allocations surpasses Rs 13,960 crore.
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