Budget 2022: Agriculture highlights in 10 points

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her budget speech said that "inclusive development" is the priority of the Government. She added 1,000 LMT (lakh metric tonnes) Paddy is expected to be procured benefitting over 1 crore farmers besides direct credit of Rs 2.37 lakh crore as MSP (Minimum Support Price) value to their accounts.

1. The procurement of wheat in Rabi 2021-22 and the estimated procurement of paddy in Kharif 2021-22 will cover 1208 lakh metric tonnes of wheat and paddy from 163 lakh farmers, and Rs 2.37 lakh crore direct payment of MSP value to their accounts.
2. Chemical-free Natural Farming will be promoted throughout the country, with a focus on farmers’ lands in 5-km wide corridors along river Ganga, at the first stage.
3. 2023 has been announced as the International Year of Millets. Support will be provided for post-harvest value addition, enhancing domestic consumption, and branding millet products nationally and internationally.
4. To reduce our dependence on the import of oilseeds, a rationalised and comprehensive scheme to increase domestic production of oilseeds will be implemented.
5. For the delivery of digital and hi-tech services to farmers with the involvement of public sector research and extension institutions along with private agri-tech players and stakeholders of the agri-value chain, a scheme in PPP mode will be launched.
6. Use of ‘Kisan Drones’ will be promoted for crop assessment, digitization of land records, spraying of insecticides, and nutrients.
7. States will be encouraged to revise syllabi of agricultural universities to meet the needs of natural, zero-budget and organic farming, modern-day agriculture, value addition and management.
8. A fund with blended capital, raised under the co-investment model, will be facilitated through NABARD. This is to finance startups for agriculture & rural enterprise, relevant for farm produce value chain. The activities for these startups will include, inter alia, support for FPOs, machinery for farmers on a rental basis at farm level, and technology including IT-based support. Ken Betwa project and Other River Linking Projects.
9. Implementation of the Ken-Betwa Link Project, at an estimated cost of Rs 44,605 crores will be taken up. This is aimed at providing irrigation benefits to 9.08 lakh hectares of farmers’ lands, drinking water supply for 62 lakh people, 103 MW of Hydro, and 27 MW of solar power. Allocations of Rs 4,300 crore in RE 2021-22 and Rs 1,400 crores in 2022-23 have been made for this project.
10. As for the agricultural sector, she said that natural farming will be promoted along the Ganga corridor.