A major highlight of the Union Budget 2020-21 was to double farmers’ income. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a host of measures. Plans include roping in Indian Railways and airlines to ferry agri produce on domestic and international routes. These will be called Kisan Rail and Krishi Udaan. Cluster-based ‘one product one district’ will be encouraged for horticultural crops. Also on the cards: Promotion of integrated farming systems in rain-fed areas
Farmers will be encouraged to take up:
Multi-tier cropping, bee-keeping, solar pumps, solar energy production in non-cropping season
Agriculture credit target has been set at Rs 15 lakh crore. Solar pumps are to be given to 2 mln farmers using fossil fuels. Another 15 lakh grid-connected farmers are to be solarised. So they can export to the grid. Organic and innovative fertilisers to be promoted; existing storage facilities to be geo-tagged. Plans include promotion of fisheries and to develop, manage and conserve marine fisheries. Artificial insemination of livestock will be pushed. Govt plans to eliminate foot-and-mouth disease, brucellosis in cattle and also PPR in sheep and goat by 2025.
MNREGS will be used to develop fodder farms. Rural development have been allocated Rs 2.83 lakh crore. Of this, 56.5% — 1.60 lakh cr — is for agriculture, irrigation and allied activities

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