Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India's agriculture sector recorded annual growth of more than 4 per cent in the past decade, marking the first such period since Independence, while 50 crore people had overcome poverty in the last 12-13 years.
Addressing the Kisan Tak Bharat Agriculture Conference, Modi cited a World Bank report to highlight the link between agricultural growth and poverty reduction, saying poverty had declined fastest in rural areas and many small farmers had moved out of poverty.
He said agriculture was central to India's vision of becoming a developed nation and called for making farming "smarter" and farmers "self-reliant".
Taking a swipe at previous governments, Modi said successive administrations had focused on ensuring adequate foodgrain stocks but failed to account for changes in markets, technology, weather patterns and food habits.
"Filling grain stores is not enough," he said, stressing the need to equip farmers with new skills and diversify agricultural activities.
Highlighting the Centre's support to farmers, Modi said the government had spent Rs 16 lakh crore on fertiliser subsidies over the past 12 years.
Despite international price pressures, a 50-kg bag of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), costing around Rs 5,000 in the global market, was being supplied to Indian farmers at Rs 1,300, he said.
Referring to rising crude oil prices amid the West Asia conflict, the Prime Minister said the government had absorbed a substantial part of the increase in diesel costs to shield farmers and consumers. While international prices had risen sharply, diesel prices in India were increased by only Rs 7 per litre, with the government bearing the remaining burden of Rs 43 per litre, he said.
Modi said India exported agricultural produce worth more than Rs 4 lakh crore annually and was the world's largest producer of milk, pulses, jute, rice, wheat, cotton, fruits and vegetables, fish and millets.
Milk production had increased by 70 per cent over the past decade, while egg production rose 90 per cent and fish production more than doubled, he said. Honey production had grown from 80,000 tonnes to 1.5 lakh tonnes, while horticulture output increased from around 280 million tonnes to over 350 million tonnes.
Emphasising crop diversification, Modi urged farmers to look beyond wheat, rice and sugarcane and explore multiple sources of income. He also highlighted the distribution of around 12 lakh solar pumps under the PM-KUSUM scheme, saying they had helped farmers reduce electricity expenses and generate additional income.
The number of soil testing laboratories had increased to more than 8,400 from a handful in 2014, while the country now had over 7,500 Krishi Vigyan Kendras, he said.
Calling for farmers to become "agri-entrepreneurs", Modi said the country had established a network of 10,000 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), with the government helping them access food processing technologies.
The Prime Minister also called for reducing the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, warning that excessive chemical use was damaging the soil. He advocated natural farming, saying it could be adopted by farmers with ease.
Distinguishing it from organic farming, Modi said one cow could provide enough manure for 30 acres and called for wider adoption of natural farming practices.
He also urged agricultural equipment manufacturers and start-ups to focus on developing solar-powered farm machinery, saying technological modernisation was essential to achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat.
(With inputs from PTI)