Minister calls on State Govts and Banks to help jointly develop agri sector
The Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) is scaling new milestones and bridging the Agri Infra gap by empowering agriculture and villages as well as boosting private investment.
Addressing the Agri Infra Fund Awards ceremony in New Delhi on 30 July 2022, Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar, said, “The Agri Infra Fund has been brought to increase agricultural productivity, increase agricultural exports, make agriculture sector employable and attract the new generation.
“In the AatmaNirbhar Bharat campaign, more than Rs.1.5 lakh crore are being invested in Agriculture and allied sectors.
“This should be used by the State Governments and banks together in the development of the agriculture sector. This is a great opportunity for the States to fill the gaps in funding agricultural infrastructure.”
He also called on the State governments to make Agriculture strong and prosperous, which will make the country develop at a faster pace.
Underlining the importance of the sector, he said, “The primacy of Agriculture has proved itself from time to time. Agriculture helped India come out of the Covid crisis and made a significant contribution to the economy at a time when other sectors were badly affected.
“Today, India is one of the leading countries in the world in terms of agricultural produce.”
“If you want to move forward in this field, then you have to identify the challenges and overcome them.”
There are 86% small farmers in the country, who own less than two hectares of land, while 55% to 60% of the country’s population is dependent on Agriculture.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Kailash Choudhary, dwelled on the role of Banks and Government agencies in empowering farmers and make the nation self-sufficient. fiinews.com
