NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said initiatives undertaken during the last 11 years of his tenure have increased the prosperity of farmers and ensured an overall transformation of the farm sector, and promised that his govt’s efforts towards farmer welfare will continue with “greater vigour” in the times to come.Ahead of 11th anniversary of his govt on June 9, the day he took oath for a third consecutive term in office last year, the Prime Minister posted on X a thread of a citizen engagement platform (MyGovIndia) that underlined how the farmers from being trapped in debt and uncertainty are now empowered with dignity, direct income support, better prices, modern infrastructure, and access to global markets through a massive 112% jump in agricultural export (from Rs 1.94 lakh crore in 2013-14 to Rs 4.12 lakh crore in 2023-24).Emphasising how his govt worked to boost “dignity and prosperity” of farmers, Modi in his post said the farmers had to earlier depend on loans even to meet their basic needs but their lives have now become easier due to several decisions taken by the Centre.“We have taken several important decisions to ensure farmer welfare, whether it’s PM-Kisan (income support scheme) or crop insurance scheme. Due to continuous increase in Minimum Support Price (MSP), the country’s food producers are not only receiving fair prices for their crops but are also experiencing a rise in their income,” Modi posted on X, reflecting on the last 11 years.The PM highlighted that govt has paid close attention to key aspects such as soil health and irrigation, which have been greatly beneficial, and urged people to read the thread, posted by the citizen engagement platform of the govt on empowering farmers and uplifting the country’s farmers.The platform also shared basic details of almost all the initiatives taken by the Modi govt in the last 11 years for farmers and the farm sector. It noted that the crop insurance scheme helped insure over 23 crore farmers and disbursed claims of Rs 1.75 lakh crore, securing incomes and reducing risk. It also said the agricultural credit shot up from Rs 7.3 lakh crore in 2013-14 to Rs 27.5 lakh crore this year, making access to affordable finance a reality for every small farmer.It also highlighted infrastructural development of the farm sector in 11 years, and shared how initiatives helped in substantially increasing foodgrain production.
