Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday said the government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi ensured that the rise in global fertilizer prices has no impact on Indian farmers. “Due to huge government subsidies, a bag of urea is still available at Rs 266 and DAP (di-ammonium phosphate) at Rs 1,350,” he said at an event in Pusa, Delhi. At the event, Prime Minister Modi unveiled several transformative initiatives for India’s agriculture and allied sectors.
The Union Minister also said the reduction in GST on farm machinery has made modern equipment more affordable for farmers across the country. Chouhan informed that the Central Government has significantly increased the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for major crops: Rs 160 per quintal for wheat, Rs 200 or more for gram, Rs 300 for lentils, Rs 250 for mustard and Rs 600 for sunflower.
The Union Agriculture Minister also informed that under ‘PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi’, Rs 3.90 lakh crore has been transferred directly to the bank accounts of farmers. Through the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme, loans worth over Rs 10 lakh crore were disbursed in FY 2024-25, along with interest subsidy of Rs 1.62 lakh crore. Compensation of over Rs 1.83 lakh crore was given to insured farmers under the ‘Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana’. Highlighting the success of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), Shri Chouhan said that now more than 52 lakh farmers are shareholders in FPOs, out of which 1,100 FPOs have become crorepatis and their collective turnover is more than Rs 15,000 crore. The Ministry of Agriculture continues to provide innovation, branding and market linkage support to these organizations.
The Union Minister reiterated that the government is working to set Indian agriculture at global standards and also take the country towards ‘self-reliance’ and ‘developed India’. He appealed to the citizens to adopt Swadeshi and contribute to the development of the country. Praising the Prime Minister’s visionary leadership, Chouhan said, “Under the guidance of Prime Minister Modi, we are committed to fulfilling the dream of a developed, self-reliant India built on the foundation of farmers’ prosperity, indigenous enterprise and innovation.”
Prime Minister Modi directly interacted with groups of farmers involved in pulses cultivation, Agricultural Infrastructure Fund (AIF), animal husbandry and fisheries and discussed their challenges and innovations. On this occasion, tributes were also paid to eminent social reformers like Loknayak Jaiprakash Narayan and Nanaji Deshmukh on their birth anniversary.
The launch of ‘Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhanya Krishi Yojana’ and ‘Self-Reliance Mission in Pulses’ is an important milestone in India’s agricultural journey. ‘Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhanya Krishi Yojana’ is a coordinated initiative involving 36 sub-schemes of 11 ministries, which aims to accelerate agricultural progress in aspirational districts. The objective of ‘Self-Reliance Mission in Pulses’ is to make India self-reliant in pulses production by reducing dependence on imports in view of increasing domestic demand.
