Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: The growth rate of the agriculture sector and allied sectors is expected to be between 3.5 per cent and 4 per cent in 2025, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on January 4.
In a review meeting of various schemes with the state/UT ministers, Chouhan said that in the New Year with new resolutions, “we will take forward the work of agricultural development and farmer welfare at a fast pace”.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said from the Red Fort last year that I will work with three times the strength in the third term. We should also resolve that we will work with our full potential,” the Union Minister said during the meeting. “Under the leadership of PM Modi, we have a six-point strategy for farmer welfare and development in the agriculture sector,” he added.
The Agriculture Ministry is working in several directions like micro-irrigation schemes, mechanisation, use of technology and new agricultural methods. “We are working on reducing the cost of production to increase income rapidly,” Chouhan said.
As part of the ‘PM Kisan Samman Nidhi’ scheme, Rs 3.46 lakh crore has been distributed to 11 crore farmers in 18 instalments to date.
“More than 25 lakh eligible farmers were added in the first 100 days of PM Modi’s third term. The number of people taking benefit of the 18th instalment increased to 9.58 crore,” Chouhan said. The ‘PM Crop Insurance Scheme’ is the world’s largest crop insurance scheme.