The Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Shri Radha Mohan Singh addressed a day-long conference on the theme, “How Government, Industry and Farmers can work together to Make Farming More Profitable”, in Mumbai today. The conference is being organized by Crop Care Federation of India (CCFI).

Following are the highlights of the Minister's address:

•Union Budget 2019 will be dedicated to the farmer. It will be another step forward, in contributing to the realization of the goal of doubling farmers' income by the year 2022.

•Remarkable progress has been made in agriculture sector, as a result of the schemes and policies of the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

•In order to ensure remunerative price for farmers' produce, e-NAM has been started.

•Cost of production has been reduced due to neem-coated urea, soil health card, mechanization and Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY).

Minister stated that the government is implementing several programmes to develop the agricultural sector and improve the economic condition of farmers. He said that issues such as reducing cost of production, ensuring remunerative price for farmers' produce, stopping wastage of farmers' produce and ensuring alternative sources of income are being addressed in mission mode.

Singh said that impressive growth has been recorded in production of food grains, pulses, milk and also in horticulture and fisheries. He said that the budgetary outlay of the Ministry of Agriculture has been increased to Rs. 2,11,694 crore during 2014-19. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, a landmark scheme to reduce the risks associated with agriculture, is being implemented across the country.

The Minister informed that in the last 54 months, 585 mandis have been linked with e-NAM; by the year 2020, 415 more mandis will be linked, he added. He said that many soil testing labs have been made operational; efforts are being made to make them portable as well.

The Minister recalled that as per the announcements made in Budget 2018, the Union Cabinet has approved a new Umbrella Scheme “Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan' (PM-AASHA) to ensure remunerative price for farmers' produce. It is commendable that the government has increased the Minimum Support Price to 1.5 times that of the production cost.

The Minister concluded by stating that it is a matter of pride that due to the implementation of the government's programmes, India is a large fast-growing economy, and that the Government will continue to work for farmer welfare, and for doubling the income of farmers.