Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced a brand new scheme in public-private partnership (PPP) mode for supply of digital and hi-tech companies to farmers and a brand new fund with blended capital to finance startups for agriculture and rural enterprise within the Union Budget 2022-23.
“For delivery of digital and hi-tech services to farmers with involvement of public sector research and extension institutions along with private agri-tech players and stakeholders of agri-value chain, a scheme in PPP mode will be launched,” Sitharaman mentioned, throughout her funds speech in Lok Sabha.
She mentioned, “A fund with blended capital, raised under the co-investment model, will be facilitated through NABARD. This is to finance start-ups for agriculture & rural enterprise, relevant for farm produce value chain. The activities for these start-ups will include, inter alia, support for FPOs, machinery for farmers on rental basis at farm level, and technology including IT-based support.”
The use of ‘Kisan Drones’ will likely be promoted for crop evaluation, digitization of land information, spraying of pesticides, and vitamins, she added.
The funds paperwork present that a number of current schemes of the Agriculture Ministry have seen a minimize or marginal improve of their allocation.
For occasion, the federal government has allotted Rs 68,000 crore for Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) within the Union Budget 2022-23, which is simply 4.6 % greater than the Budget Estimates of Rs 65,000 crore for 2021-22 and solely 0.74 per cent greater than the Revised Estimates of Rs 67,500 crore for the present monetary 12 months.
Under the PM-KISAN scheme, the federal government offers Rs 6,000 to the eligible beneficiary farmer households in a 12 months in three equal 4-monthly installments of Rs 2,000 every. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the tenth installment of the PM-Kisan on 1st January 2022. An quantity of Rs 20,946 crore was transferred into financial institution accounts of 10.09 crore farmers throughout the nation.
The allocation of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) has been stored at Rs 15,500 crore for monetary 12 months 2022-23, which is decrease than the Budget Estimates of Rs 16,000 crore for 2021-22 and revised estimates of Rs 15989.39 crore for the present monetary 12 months. Similarly, the allocation of Market Intervention Scheme and Price Support Scheme (MIS-PSS) has been decreased to Rs 1,500 crore in 2022-23 from Rs 3,595.61 crore in RE 2021-22. The funds of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY)- Per Drop More Crop has been decreased to Rs 2,000 crore in 2022-23 from Rs 4,000 crore in RE 2021-22.
“To reduce our dependence on import of oilseeds, a rationalised and comprehensive scheme to increase domestic production of oilseeds will be implemented,” she mentioned.
Sitharaman mentioned that the procurement of wheat in Rabi 2021-22 and the estimated procurement of paddy in Kharif 2021-22 will cowl 1208 lakh metric tonnes of wheat and paddy from 163 lakh farmers, and Rs 2.37 lakh crore direct fee of minimal assist worth (MSP) worth to their accounts.
ExplainedPPP for farm start-upsA fund with blended capital, raised underneath the co-investment mannequin, will likely be facilitated by way of NABARD. This is to finance start-ups for agriculture & rural enterprise, related for farm produce worth chain.The actions for these start-ups will embody, inter alia, assist for FPOs, equipment for farmers on rental foundation at farm degree, and know-how together with IT-based assist.
Sitharaman additionally introduced that Chemical-free Natural Farming will likely be promoted all through the nation, with a give attention to farmers’ lands in 5-km huge corridors alongside river Ganga, on the first stage.
She additionally mentioned that states will likely be inspired to revise syllabi of agricultural universities to satisfy the wants of pure, zero-budget and natural farming, modern-day agriculture, worth addition and administration.
The finance minister additionally introduced that the federal government will present a complete bundle with participation of state governments for farmers to undertake appropriate forms of vegetables and fruit, and to make use of acceptable manufacturing and harvesting strategies. Besides, she additionally introduced that the federal government will deliver insurance policies and required legislative adjustments to advertise agro forestry and personal forestry will likely be introduced in. “In addition, financial support will be provided to farmers belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, who want to take up agro-forestry,” she mentioned.