In his budgetary speech Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said there is a need to create a National Agriculture Market for the benefit of farmers, which will also have the incidental benefit of moderating price rises. Government would work with the States and also in NITI Aayog for the creation of a Unified National Agriculture Market, he added.
Commenting on this Dr. U S Awasthi tweeted ”This #Unified National Agriculture Mkt will have benefit of moderating price rise. Certainly more strength to farmers to sell across country.”
The other aspects which were touched by the Minister related to agriculture included steps to address the two major factors critical to agricultural production- soil and water. Expressing his happiness Awasthi tweeted “ #IFFCO welcomes the consideration of #Soil Health & #Irrigation in #Budget2015 by @narendramodi, @arunjaitley 4 addressing Agri productivity.”
IFFCO MD also hailed Pradhanmantri Suraksha Bima Yojna for BPL and the idea of micro-Irrigation and watershed Programme in the Union Budget 2015. Tweeting he said “#IFFCO welcomes #PM @narendramodi’s #PradhanmantriSurakshaBimaYojna for BPL by @arunjaitley in #Budget2015. Its Insuring the Uninsured.”
On micro-Irrigation and watershed Programme Dr. U S Awasthi tweeted “ #IFFCO congratulates @narendramodi, @arunjaitley 4 d concept of #Micro-Irrigation #Watershed Prog in #Budget2015. It saves resources-time.”
In his speech Mr Jaitley talked of Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, Pradhanmantri Gram Sinchai Yojana’ to provide ‘Per Drop More Crop’, Rs 5,300 crore to support micro-irrigation, waters shed development and the ‘Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana’. States were urged to chip in.
Further a sum of Rs 25,000 crore as corpus of Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) in NABARD; Rs 15,000 crore for Long Term Rural Credit Fund; Rs 45,000 crore for Short Term Co-operative Rural Credit Refinance Fund; and Rs 15,000 crore for Short Term RRB Refinance Fund and a sum of Rs 8.5 lakh crore of agricultural credit during the year 2015-16 were envisaged.