Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted his government's commitment to the agriculture sector and farmers, emphasizing that the Centre is delivering on its promises rather than merely making empty declarations.
Speaking at the 17th Indian Cooperative Congress, the Prime Minister urged cooperatives to prioritize social and national policies over politics. He called for transparency, corruption-free governance, and the adoption of digital tools on a large scale.
Modi called upon cooperatives to contribute to the country's self-reliance in cooking oils by increasing the production of oilseeds and pulses. He applauded his government's achievements in agriculture over the past nine years, including the supply of fertilizers at affordable rates, procurement of grains at minimum support prices, and direct transfer of funds to farmers' bank accounts under the PM-KISAN scheme.
According to Modi, the government is allocating more than Rs 6.5 lakh crore annually to support agriculture and farmers. He emphasized that under the BJP government, there is a guarantee that every farmer will receive around Rs 50,000 each year in various forms. The Prime Minister also highlighted the significant financial support provided to farmers through procurement of their produce at minimum support prices and fertilizer subsidies.
Modi drew attention to the price difference of urea, stating that Indian farmers can purchase it at around Rs 270 per bag, which is considerably lower than neighboring countries and the United States. He underscored the government's commitment to farmers' welfare by mentioning the direct transfer of Rs 2.5 lakh crore to their bank accounts under the PM-KISAN scheme.
The Prime Minister applauded the contribution of dairy cooperatives in making India the world's leading milk producer and highlighted the role of cooperatives in the country's sugar production. He expressed his vision for a strengthened cooperative sector and emphasized the government's efforts to promote transparency and corruption-free governance through digital systems.
Modi encouraged cooperative societies and banks to embrace digital transactions, stating that it would enhance transparency, efficiency, and competition. He mentioned the computerization of over 60,000 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) and emphasized the benefits of core banking and digital transactions for the nation.
The Prime Minister urged cooperatives to contribute to the nation's increasing exports and emphasized the need to make India self-reliant in the production of edible oil. He applauded the package of Rs 20,000 crore provided to sugar mills to clear farmers' dues and highlighted the prioritization of ethanol blending in petrol.
