Ahmedabad, DeshGujarat

Speaking at ‘Kisan Kalyan Mela’ at Sehore in Madhya Pradesh today, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi said farmers will be the first to get benefit of Government of India’s ‘Digital India’ campaign. He said the central government will launch ‘National Online Agriculture Market’ on 14th of April connecting 550 Agriculture Producing Market Committees(APMC) through digital network.

“APMCs across the nation will be connected through online network to create a National Online Agriculture Market. This initiative will be launched on 14th of April which is the birth anniversary of Dr Ambedkar. At present same crop attracts different prices at different place – low price at one place but higher price at another place. Farmers however have no choice. They have to sell their produce at nearby market. With launching of National Online Agriculture Market, farmers will be able to track prices of produce on their mobile phones and take decision on where to sell produce.A farmer sitting in Madhya Pradesh would be able to take decision to sell his produce in Tamil Nadu if he finds price offered in Tamil Nadu is better,” Prime Minister said adding that 550 APMCs across the nation will be connected to this network and farmers will be first beneficiaries of Digital India.

Modi who also released guidelines for Prime Minister Fasal Bima Yojana in this function narrated the details of new agriculture insurance scheme introduced by the Government of India in detail and appealed farmers to join this scheme. He said the scheme was originally launched by Shri Atal Bihar Vajpayee during BJP led government in centre, but later the government changed and farmers started having mistrust or doubts and therefore they stayed away from adopting the scheme. But now the government has launched a scheme that is so good that even those who otherwise criticize the government day and night are not able to criticize this scheme.

Modi said, “I want you to put trust in this insurance scheme. I want 50% farmers to come forward and take insurance cover. Government will need to spend more if more farmers come forward to get insurance cover under this scheme, but we want more farmers to join. It is for the first time in India that such scheme has been introduced by government. If farmers take benefit from this scheme, natural calamities will not be able to threaten them, harm them.

Speaking about the insurance scheme Modi said, the rates of premium have been reduced from 14-15% to 1.5-2.00%, the amount of premium has been capped but unlike the old scheme payment to farmers has not been capped. Even one single farmer is suffers damage due to calamity will be eligible for insurance cover contrary to earlier area-wise scheme. If there’s no rain and therefore a farmer stays away from sowing activity, even then he would be eligible for insurance. Ready crop after cutting if suffer damage in open field it will be covered under insurance. Due to technology-friendly provisions, farmers will be able to get 25% amount immediately and rest of the amount in minimum time.

Modi said government would rely on combination of traditional wisdom and latest technology in agriculture. He said it was talked that about Rs 50,000 crore to Rs 60,000 crore payment to sugarcane farmers is pending, but within 18 months this government has addressed this issue and now only Rs 1,000 crore payments are pending. The government has permitted 10% mixture of ethanol in fuel and thus empowered the farmers.

Modi asked farmers to utilize the report in soil health card. He said government wishes to provide soil health card to each farmer, but then farmers will need to take action based on that report card in his field to get results.

Modi said India produced highest urea since independence last year. He said government is taking step to reopen closed fertilizer plants and also working to open newer plants. Black market, complains from states, late arrival of fertilizer has been a matter of past.

Modi also shared details about neem coated urea and its benifit. He said neem coating will give more produce and stop diversion of subsidized urea to industrial use.

Modi asked everyone to take pledge that by 2022 when India will complete 75 years of freedom from British rule – the income of every farmer would double.

– DeshGujarat