“We are helping and encouraging farmers to take our country’s agriculture on a new path,” he said.
Lucknow:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said his government is helping farmers take agriculture to a new path, and focussed on natural farming and coarse grains.
Addressing an event in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, the Prime Minister stressed the importance of working towards a common goal of putting Indian food products on dinner tables across the world.
His comments come amid protests by a section of farmers over various demands such as legal guarantee of minimum support price for crops.
“We are helping and encouraging farmers to take our country’s agriculture on a new path,” he said.
He stressed on natural farming and focus on coarse grains. “This is the right time to invest in superfoods like millet,” he said.
He cited the emergence of large-scale natural farming along the banks of the Ganga in Uttar Pradesh, which not only benefits farmers but also helps maintain the purity of the sacred rivers.
The Prime Minister appealed to food processing entrepreneurs to prioritize the mantra of “zero impact, zero defect” in their endeavours.
He highlighted the success stories of products like Kalanamak rice from Siddharth Nagar and black rice from Chandauli, which are now being exported in significant quantities, and stressed on collective efforts to take Indian food items to people across the world. .
The Prime Minister encouraged entrepreneurs to form partnerships with farmers, underlined the Government’s efforts to empower small-scale farmers through Farmer Producer Organizations and cooperatives, which provide opportunities for mutually beneficial partnerships. .
“Benefits to farmers and agriculture are also good for your business,” PM Modi told investors.
He also mentioned the award of Bharat Ratna to former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh.
He said, “Just a few days ago, our government had the privilege of awarding Bharat Ratna to the messiah of farmers, Chaudhary Charan Singh.”
He said that getting the award to Singh, the son of the soil of Uttar Pradesh, is also an honor for crores of laborers and crores of farmers of the country.
On the important role of Uttar Pradesh in driving India’s rural economy and agro-based economy, the Prime Minister called upon the stakeholders to make the most of this opportunity.
He expressed confidence in the capabilities of the people of Uttar Pradesh and the efforts of the “double engine government” in laying the foundation for the progress of the state and the country.
PM Modi launched 14,000 projects worth over Rs 10 lakh crore across Uttar Pradesh on Monday at the fourth ground-breaking ceremony for investment proposals received during the UP Global Investors Summit here.
The projects relate to sectors such as manufacturing, renewable energy, food processing, housing and real estate, hospitality and entertainment and education.
The event was attended by Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and several industrialists and representatives of top global and Indian companies.
PM Modi’s comments on agriculture and rural economy come amid protests by a section of farmers over their various demands.
Farmers from Punjab began their march to Delhi on February 13, but were stopped by security personnel at Shambhu and Khanauri points on Punjab’s border with Haryana.
Thousands of protesting farmers are camping at the Punjab-Haryana border as part of their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march.
Apart from legal guarantee for MSP, the protesting farmers are demanding implementation of Swaminathan Commission recommendations, pension for farmers and farm labourers, farm loan waiver, no hike in electricity rates and restoration of the Land Acquisition Act of 2013. .
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
