New Delhi [India]: Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan highlighted the Narendra Modi government’s decade-long efforts to support farmers, promising the continued availability of affordable fertilizers.
In an address to the Rajya Sabha on Friday, Agriculture Minister and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, “I want to assure the crores of farmer brothers and sisters across the country that the government under Modi Ji and the Bharatiya Janata Party will continue to provide cheap fertilizers.”
Chouhan detailed the significant subsidies being offered, noting that urea, typically worth Rs2,366, is provided to farmers at just Rs266. Similarly, Di-ammonium Phosphate (DAP), valued at Rs2,433, is available for Rs1,350.
Chouhan stated that the government has increased fertilizer subsidies over the years, with the subsidy amount rising from Rs71,280 crore in 2013-14 to Rs1,95,420 crore in 2023-24.
“We did not let the burden of increased prices of DAP due to international conditions fall on the farmers. Instead, we introduced a special package of an additional Rs2,625 crore to ensure that farmers could access affordable fertilizers,” he said.
Chouhan emphasized the six key priorities set by the government to enhance India’s agricultural sector: increasing production, reducing the cost of production, paying the right price for the produce, providing adequate relief in case of natural calamity, diversifying agriculture, and promoting natural farming.
Taking a dig at the Congress party, Chouhan accused them of neglecting irrigation infrastructure during their time in power. He pointed out that under Congress rule, irrigation facilities in Madhya Pradesh were limited to just 7.5 lakh hectares.
“Congress was in power for years but never paid serious attention to irrigation facilities. There are not just one but many examples of this. When there was a Congress government in Madhya Pradesh, there was irrigation facility in only 7.5 lakh hectares. We increased it to 47.5 lakh hectares,” he said.