Addressing the joint session of Parliament on January 31, at the opening of the Budget session, President Droupadi Murmu said, “My government is promoting cooperatives in agriculture. Therefore, a Ministry of Cooperation has been established for the first time in the country”, she said.
She further said , “The world’s largest Grain Storage plan has been launched in the cooperative sector. In villages where there are no cooperative societies, 2 lakh societies are being established”, she noted.
“For the first time, my government has given priority to over 10 crore small farmers in the country’s agricultural policy and schemes. It is our government that has formulated the Agricultural Export Policy in the country for the first time. This has led to agricultural exports reaching up to Rs 4 lakh crore”, the President added.
Touching on the fishery sector, Murmu said, “The schemes worth more than Rs 38 thousand crore are being implemented in the fisheries sector, due to which fish production has increased from 95 lakh metric tonnes to 175 lakh metric tonnes i.e. almost doubled in the last ten years.
“The Inland fisheries production has increased from 61 lakh metric tonnes to 131 lakh metric tonnes. Exports in the fisheries sector have more than doubled i.e., increase from Rs 30 thousand crore to Rs 64 thousand crore”, she informed.
Besides, the livestock farmers and fishermen have been given the benefit of Kisan Credit Card. Under the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, farmers have received over Rs 2 lakh 80 thousand crore so far.
“Over the past 10 years, there has been a threefold increase in easy loans for farmers from banks. Under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, farmers paid a premium of Rs 30 thousand crore. In return, they have received a claim of Rs 1.5 lakh crore”, the President remarked.
In the last 10 years, farmers have received nearly Rs 18 lakh crore as MSP (Minimum Support Price) for paddy and wheat crops, she said.
The budget session of Parliament began on Wednesday, a day before the announcement of Interim Budget 2024. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the interim budget today, her sixth budget in a row.
The budget session will conclude on February 9.