The Union Cabinet is poised to discuss a significant increase in the agriculture budget during its upcoming meeting on Monday, a move that could mark a pivotal shift in the government’s strategy to enhance agricultural productivity and sectoral resilience. This potential boost in funding is anticipated to be accompanied by a broader discussion on the consolidation of various agricultural schemes into a more unified and efficient framework, as reported by *Businesstoday.in*.
This proposed increase in the agriculture budget reflects the government’s ongoing commitment to strengthening the agricultural sector, which plays a vital role in India’s economy and sustenance. The Union Budget for 2024-25 had already outlined several key initiatives aimed at revolutionizing agriculture, including the development of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). The DPI initiative, which is now set to be rolled out on a nationwide scale, aims to modernize the agricultural sector by integrating digital technologies and enhancing access to resources for farmers across the country.
The DPI project is designed to expand upon the success of a previous pilot project and aims to cover a significant portion of the farming community. The initiative will involve conducting a digital crop survey for Kharif crops across 400 districts, which is expected to integrate detailed information about 6 crore farmers and their lands into digital registries. This comprehensive approach is intended to improve the accuracy and accessibility of agricultural data, thereby facilitating more informed decision-making and effective policy implementation.
In addition to the DPI initiative, the Union Budget also emphasized the importance of achieving self-reliance in the production of oil seeds such as mustard, groundnut, sesame, soybean, and sunflower. This focus on reducing dependency on imported oil seeds aims to bolster domestic production and ensure a stable supply of these critical crops. The government plans to support this goal by promoting farmer-producer organizations, cooperatives, and start-ups to build robust vegetable supply chains that include collection, storage, and marketing facilities.
Furthermore, the Cabinet discussions are likely to address the issuance of Jan Samarth-based Kisan Credit Cards in five states. These credit cards are designed to provide farmers with easier access to financial resources, which is crucial for their operational needs, productivity enhancement, and overall financial stability. The introduction of these credit cards is expected to streamline the process of obtaining credit and support farmers in managing their financial requirements more effectively.
Another key area of focus will be the establishment of large-scale vegetable production clusters and the development of a network of nucleus breeding centers for shrimp broodstocks. These initiatives aim to create efficient and robust supply chains for vegetables and shrimp, ensuring that agricultural produce can be effectively collected, stored, and marketed.
The agriculture sector was highlighted as one of the nine priority areas in the Union Budget 2024-25, demonstrating its critical importance to the country's economic stability and growth. The budget allocated Rs 1.52 lakh crore to agriculture and allied sectors, reflecting a strong commitment to advancing this essential area. As the Cabinet convenes to discuss these initiatives, the emphasis will likely be on how to best implement and coordinate these efforts to achieve meaningful improvements in agricultural productivity and sectoral resilience.
Overall, the discussions are expected to address both immediate funding needs and long-term strategic goals, to foster a more robust, efficient, and self-reliant agricultural sector that can better support India’s farmers and meet the country’s growing food security needs.
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