Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman has unveiled the third tranche of government’s Rs 20 lakh crore economic package in a bid to revive the Indian economy that has taken a slump due to ongoing nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
GoI is to create a facilitative legal framework to enable farmers to engage with processors, aggregators, large retailers, exporters in a fair and transparent manner.
Centre will formulate a law to provide adequate choices to the farmers to sell produce at an attractive price, barrier-free interstate trade, and framework for e-trading of agricultural produce.
GoI will implement a Rs.500 crore scheme of infrastructure development related to integrated beekeeping development centres, collection, marketing & storage centres, post-harvest, and value addition facilities. It is expected to lead to an increase in income of 2 lakh bee-keepers.
The National Medicinal Plants Board will bring an 800-hectare area by developing a corridor of medicinal plants along the banks of river Ganga.
Centre allocated Rs.4000 crore for the promotion of herbal cultivation. Under this, 10,00,000 hectares will be covered in the next 2 years.
Government has decided to amend the Essential Commodities Act. It will enable better price realization for farmers and attract investments that will lead to deregulation of prices for cereals, edible oils, oilseeds, pulses, onions, and potatoes.
Centre also announced the Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund of Rs.15,000 crore to support investment in dairy processing.
Centre announced Rs.4,000 crore for promotion of herbal cultivation to bring 10 lakh hectares of land under herbal growing in the next 2 years.
A total outlay of Rs.13,343 crore has been allocated for the National Animal Disease Control Programme for Foot and Mouth Disease and Brucellosis.
Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana for the development of marine and inland fisheries will be given Rs.20,000 crore. It is expected to generate job opportunities for 55 lakh people.
All Covid-19 related deadline extensions relating to fisheries activities which are aimed to help marine and coastal farmers will be undertaken.
Government is to introduce a Rs.10,000 crores scheme for the formalization of Micro Food Enterprises (MFE).
Government aims to create an Rs.1 lakh crore Agri-Infrastructure Fund for farm gate infrastructure for Indian farmers.
As an additional step for agriculture during the lockdown, Centre has announced an amount more than Rs.74,300 crores for Minimum Support Price purchases and Rs.18,700 crore for Kisan fund transfer.
