Stating that a modern and self-reliant agricultural system is the goal of the government, President Droupadi Murmu on Friday said that it is working with dedication to ensure fair prices of crops to farmers and increase their income.
Addressing both the Houses of Parliament, the President said, “In 2023-24, India achieved a record production of 332 million tons of foodgrains. Today, India is the largest producer of milk, pulses, and spices in the world”.
She said the government has been consistently increasing the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for both Kharif and Rabi crops.
Iterating that the spending on the procurement of rice, wheat, pulses, oilseeds, and coarse grains has tripled in the last ten years, Murmu said the government released 109 climate-resilient, bio-fortified and high-yielding advanced crop varieties to farmers in the past six months.
“To strengthen agricultural infrastructure, the scope of the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund Scheme has been expanded. This initiative will boost employment opportunities in rural areas,” the President said.
Moreover, to enhance the oilseed production, a ‘National Mission on Oilseeds’ has been approved, she added.
She further said that the government was committed to natural farming and in this regards a National Mission was being implemented.
The government was also establishing 11 Integrated Aqua Parks to promote fisheries, the President said. UNI RBE SSP
