Agriculture And Farmers Welfare Initiatives: Union Budget 2023
During the Budget speech Union finance Minister announced multiple schemes towards Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
Key initiatives announced are:
PM PRANAM (Prime Minister Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth)
- This programme will seek to incentivise states and union territories to promote alternative fertilisers and the balanced use of chemical fertilisers.
Bhartiya Prakritik Kheti Bio-Input Resource Centres
- Under this10,000 Bio-Input Resource Centres will be set up, creating a national-level distributed micro-fertiliser and pesticide manufacturing network.
- This will impact over 1 crore farmers over the next three years.
Agriculture Accelerator Fund
- The Fund will aim at bringing innovative and affordable solutions for challenges faced by farmers.
- It will also bring in modern technologies to transform agricultural practices, and increase productivity and profitability.”
Cotton crop productivity enhancement - Union government will adopt a cluster-based approach to enhance the cotton crop.
- To enhance the productivity of extra-long staple cotton, the government will adopt a cluster-based and value chain approach through Public Private Partnerships (PPP).
Centre of excellence for millets
- Indian Institute of Millet Research, Hyderabad will be made into a Centre for Excellence and it will be supported for sharing best practices, research and technologies at the international level.
- Agriculture credit to be increased
- The agriculture credit target will be increased to Rs 20 lakh crore with a focus on animal husbandry, dairy, and fisheries.
GOBARdhan scheme
- Five-hundred new ‘waste to wealth’ plants under GOBARdhan (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan) scheme will be established for promoting a circular economy.
