NEW DELHI: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday proposed a range of initiatives to support farmers, animal husbandry and veterinary professionals, with a special focus on strengthening women-led rural enterprises.
A key proposal is the integrated development of 500 reservoirs, or Amrit Sarovars, to boost the fisheries sector. The government also announced steps to promote entrepreneurship in animal husbandry to generate quality jobs in rural areas.
Targeting coconut-growing states such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the Finance Minister unveiled a Coconut Promotion Scheme aimed at improving production and productivity and benefiting around 30 million people, including 10 million coconut growers.
The government also plans measures to develop Indian cashew and cocoa as premium global brands by 2030 and will work with state governments to revive Indian sandalwood.
To bring technology into farming, Sitharaman proposed launching BHARAT VISTAAR, a multilingual AI-based tool to help farmers improve productivity, make better decisions and reduce risks through customised advisory support.
To raise the incomes of rural women, the Budget proposed setting up Self Help Entrepreneur (SHE) Marts for women-led enterprises, building on the success of the Lakhpati Didi programme and helping women move from credit-based livelihoods to owning businesses.