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HomePosts Tagged "Narendra Singh Tomar" (Page 2)
AgroPolicy, Foodgrains, Oilseeds, Pulses, Sustainability

National targets set for food grains at 3320, pulses at 292.5and oilseeds at 440 lakh tonnes for the year 2023-24

Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Agriculture Minister, inaugurated National Conference on Agriculture for Kharif Campaign 2023-24 in New Delhi. Addressing Conference, he emphasised that agriculture remains the prime pulse of the Indian economy and is at the core of the country’s socio-economic development. It accounts for around 19 per cent of the GDP and about two-thirds of the population is dependent on the sector.

Tomar expressed happiness that India’s agriculture sector has been witnessing robust growth with an average annual growth rate of 4.6 per cent over the last six years. This has enabled the agriculture and allied activities sector to contribute significantly towards the country’s overall growth, development and food security. As per 2nd Advance Estimates (2022-23), the production of foodgrains in the country is estimated at 3235 lakh tonnes which is higher by 79 lakh tonnes than the production of foodgrains during 2021-22. Record production of rice, maize, gram, pulses, rapeseed and mustard, oilseeds and sugarcane is estimated. The total production of sugarcane in the country during 2022-23 is estimated at record 4688 lakh tonnes which is higher by 1553 lakh tonnes than the average sugarcane production. As per the 3rd Advance Estimates of Horticulture, a record 3423.3 lakh tonnes of horticultural production are estimated in 2021-22 which is 77.30 lakh tonnes higher than production of 2020-21.

The objective of this conference was to review and assess the crop performance during the preceding crop seasons and fix crop-wise targets for the Kharif season in consultation with State Governments, ensure the supply of critical inputs and facilitate the adoption of innovative technologies with a view to enhancing production and productivity of the crops.  The priority of the government is agro-ecological based crop planning for the diversion of land from excess commodities like rice and wheat to deficit commodities like oilseeds and pulses and high-value export-earning crops. The special Mustard programme was initiated during Rabi 2020-21 which has brought the most spectacular results. Mustard production has jumped by 40 per cent from 91.24 to 128.18 lakh tonnes in the last 3 years.  The productivity saw an 11 per cent increase from 1331 to 1447 kg/ha. The area under rapeseed & mustard enhanced by 29 per cent from 68.56 lakh ha in 2019-20 to 88.58 lakh ha in 2022-23.  Timely action by central and state governments made this remarkable achievement possible.

The Conference set the national targets for the production of foodgrains and other commodities. National targets for total food grain production are set at 3320 lakh tonnes for 2023-24.  The target for production of pulses has been fixed at 292.5 lakh tonnes compared to 278.1 lakh tonnes this year and oilseeds production will be increased from 400 to 440 lakh tonnes in 2023-24.  Total Shree Anna production has to be increased from 159.1 lakh tonnes in 2022-23 to 170.0 lakh tonnes in 2023-24. The strategy would be to increase area through inter-cropping and crop diversification and productivity enhancement through the introduction of HYVs and the adoption of suitable agronomic practices in low-yielding regions.

National targets set for food grains at

AgroPolicy, Foodgrains, Sustainability

MEC offers a unique dining experience, besides an in-store shopping experience

Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, along with Rajbir Singh, Managing Director, NAFED, commemorated the launch of the first-of-its-kind ‘Millets Experience Centre (MEC)’ at Dilli Haat, INA, New Delhi. NAFED in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) established the Millets Experience Centre with an aim to raise awareness of Millets and encourage its adoption among the general public.

Acting upon India’s proposal supported by 72 countries, the United Nations General Assembly declared the year 2023 as the International Year of Millets (IYM 2023). The declaration positioned India at the forefront of the celebrations and the Government of India has been working on ‘mission mode’ to champion millets as a crop good for farmers, the environment and consumers. The ministry-led initiative of establishing a consumer-oriented ‘Millets Experience Centre’ would not only promote the dietary benefits of the ancient grain but also popularise millets or Shree Anna as a nutritional powerhouse fit for cooking a variety of dishes like Millets dosa, Millets pasta etc. In addition to a unique dining experience, customers can also purchase a variety of ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook products from local millet start-ups at the MEC.

In his inaugural address, Tomar praised India’s dynamic celebration of IYM 2023, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Highlighting the visionary efforts of the Prime Minister, starting from the declaration of the National Year of Millets in 2018 and further with the International Year of Millets (IYM), Tomar said India is gearing towards becoming a ‘Global Hub’ for Millets. The setting up of the MEC is a step in that direction, he added. Situated in the heart of Delhi, Dilli Haat is a national & cultural hub for visitors from all around the world, the MEC will further help the global outreach of the local millets and provide visitors with a chance to witness India’s ‘Millet Movement’, he said.

MEC offers a unique dining experience, besides

AgroPolicy, Agrotech, Sustainability

He emphasised taking technology like micro-irrigation to the maximum number of farmers while saving water

Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare inaugurated the Summit on Farm Machinery Technology, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Tractor and Mechanisation Association (TMA). Tomar said that there are about 85 per cent of small farmers in the country, who should get the benefit of technology & machinery. An amount of Rs.6120.85 crore has been released to the states from 2014-15 to 2022-23 for various activities like training, testing, setting up of CHCs, hi-tech hubs and Farm Machinery Banks (FMBs) under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM). Besides 15.24 lakh farm machinery and equipment have been distributed at subsidised rates through state governments, including tractors, power tillers and automated machinery.

Tomar said that agriculture is a priority of the country and no one could destroy the fabric of our agriculture-based rural economy even in adverse circumstances. In terms of agricultural products, India stands at Number One or Second rank in the world today, which is a result of the hard work of the farmers, the contribution of scientists and industry, and the farmer-friendly policies of the government with the support of technology.

Farmers’ access to the market has also been increased through e-NAM mandis and the gaps in the agriculture sector are being filled up, for which more than Rs 1.5 lakh crore packages have been earmarked for Agriculture and Allied sectors. He emphasised on taking technology like micro-irrigation to the maximum number of farmers while saving water.

He emphasised taking technology like micro-irrigation to

Agro chems – Chemicals, Agro chems – Pesticides, AgroPolicy, Company News, India, Sustainability

Crop-specific SOPs issue for use of pesticides with farming drones

The book titled ‘Machinery for Millets Production, Processing & Value Addition’ released

Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare released Crop Specific ‘Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the Application of Pesticides with Drones’ in the public domain for the guidance of farmers and other stakeholders. Tomar also released a booklet titled ‘Machinery for Millets Production, Processing and Value Addition’. On this occasion, Tomar said that agriculture is our priority, so whether it is research or initiating schemes, the first priority of the government is to promote agriculture and improve the financial condition of the farmers. There are many challenges in the Agriculture sector. To retain the farmers, attract the new generation and increase the remuneration of the farmers by reducing the cost of production. For this, technical support in the agriculture sector is very important, the government is making continuous efforts in this direction.

Under the Agricultural Mechanization Sub-Mission, ICAR institutes, KVKs, SAUs, other State/Central Government Agricultural Institutes and Government of India PSUs engaged in agricultural activities are provided financial assistance at the rate of 100 per cent of the drone cost (up to Rs. 10 lacks per drone) besides Contingent Expenses for the purpose of demonstration of drones in the farmers’ fields. FPOs are given grant-in-aid at the rate of 75 per cent for the purchase of drones for a demonstration on farmers’ fields. For the purpose of providing agricultural services through the use of drones, financial assistance is given at the rate of 40 per cent of the original cost of the drone by CHCs to Farmers Cooperative Society, FPOs and Rural Entrepreneurs for the purchase of drones, subject to a maximum of Rs.4 lakh. Agricultural Graduates setting up CHCs are provided financial assistance up to Rs. 5 lacks at the rate of 50 per cent of the cost of drones. Individual small and marginal farmers, SC-ST farmers, women farmers and farmers of North-Eastern states will also get 50 per cent of the cost of the drone subject to a maximum of Rs 5 lakh while other farmers are eligible for assistance at 40 per cent of the cost of the drone, subject to a maximum of Rs. 4 lakhs.

Crop-specific SOPs issue for use of pesticides

AgroPolicy, India, IT, Sustainability

With the launch of the module, claims will be disbursed electronically, which will benefit the respective farmers of six states

Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, launched the National Crop Insurance Portal’s digitised claim settlement module namely DigiClaim under the ambit of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi. With the launch of the module, claims will be disbursed electronically, which will benefit the respective farmers of six states. Now, the automated claim settlement process will be an ongoing activity to ease all insured farmers’ lives and provide them with a sustainable financial flow and support.

Besides Tomar, Union Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Kailash Choudhary, Agriculture Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Union Agriculture Secretary Manoj Ahuja, CEO, PMFBY Shri Ritesh Chauhan and other senior officials were also present. CMDs of Agriculture Insurance Company of India Ltd and SBI General Insurance were also present including representatives of National Insurance Company (NIC), HDFC Ergo, Bajaj Allianz, Reliance GIC, ICICI Lombard, Future Generali, IFFCO Tokio, Cholamandlam MS, Universal Sompo and TATA AIG. Representatives from SBI Bank, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Yes Bank were also present at the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Tomar said that it is a matter of pride for our Ministry to have taken a revolutionary step in ensuring that farmers can receive claim amounts digitally in a timebound and automated manner, thereby making our farmers Aatmanirbhar and Sashakt.

With the launch of a DigiClaim Module, insurance claims totalling Rs 1260.35 crore have been disbursed on March 23, 2023, to insured farmers in the states of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Haryana with the click of a button, and the process will continue as and when the claims are released. The Union Minister also mentioned that to date Rs 1.32 lakh crore claim amount has been disbursed to the insured farmers under PMFBY. He also took special note of the ‘Meri Policy, Mere Haath’ ongoing campaign and observed that the campaign has been monumental in enhancing the awareness around PMFBY at the grassroots level.

While speaking on the occasion, Shri Tomar said that the Government of India is closely working with all exited states from the scheme and have had discussions with their senior officials in which Andhra Pradesh and Punjab are making a comeback to the scheme, which shows a shining example of corporative federalism. Governments of Telangana, Gujarat, Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand have also been approached to rejoin PMFBY and several discussions have been underway. Out of these states, Telangana and Jharkhand have indicated their willingness to come back under PMFBY.

With the launch of the module, claims

AgroPolicy, Foodgrains, India, Sustainability

Narendra Singh Tomar holds bilateral meetings with the ministers of Guyana, Suriname, Zambia, Mauritius and Sri Lanka

Narendra Singh Tomar Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister held bilateral meetings with Agriculture Ministers of various countries participating in the Global Millets (Shree Anna) Conference. An MoU was also signed with the World Food Programme (WFP) of the United Nations. 

Narendra Singh Tomar lauded the work of WFP in promoting food self-sufficiency and supporting governmental and global efforts to ensure long-term solutions to the challenge of hunger.

At the conference, Tomar also thanked the ministers for being a part of the global conference organised by India with the aim of promoting Shree Anna, under the International Year of Millets (IYM).

He said that the International Year of Millets is being celebrated so that the Indian Shree Anna, its recipes, and value-added products are accepted globally as a people’s movement. He hoped to further strengthen India’s agricultural ties with various countries.

During the global conference, the MoU between WFP and the Government of India for cooperation between 2023-2027 was signed in the presence of the Tomar Agriculture Minister. Manoj Juneja, Deputy Chief Executive Director, Management and Chief Financial Officer of UNWFP, and Elizabeth Faure, WFP Representative and Country Director in India were present.

Meanwhile, he held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from various countries participating in the Global Millets Conference. In a meeting with Minister Zulfikar Mustafa, Guyana’s Agriculture Union Minister Tomar recalled the visit of Mohammad Irfan Ali, President of Guyana, and Bharat Jagdev, Vice-President of Guyana and said that agriculture is a very important area of cooperation between the two countries.

“India is keen to share its expertise and experience in the development of agriculture and allied sectors in Guyana, for which an MoU is under finalisation. He assured that Guyana’s request for the deputation of two experts to ITEC from India for three years to support the Guyana Sugar Corporation management and revive the sugar estates and plants in Guyana would be considered at the earliest,” said Tomar.

Apart from Guyana, Tomar also held meetings with his counterparts from Zambia, Suriname, Mauritius, and Sri Lanka.

Narendra Singh Tomar holds bilateral meetings with

AgroPolicy, India, Sustainability

Agriculture Minister addressed the conference on the ‘Dawn of a Plant-Based Age’ during the Aahaar exhibition

In order to deliberate on plant-based foods as an option for Food Security in the future, a conference was organised on the topic ‘Dawn of a Plant-Based Age’ during the ‘Aahaar’ exhibition organised at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. Inaugurating the conference organised by the Plant Based Foods Industry Association (PBFIA), the Chief Guest, Narendra Singh Tomar Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, said that plant-based foods, along with meeting the needs of the times, will create job opportunities and boost agriculture. It will also give strength to the Agriculture sector. In view of the challenges that agriculture is facing, a plant-based alternative diet is an important step.

Union Minister Tomar said that if we prepare the options that will be needed in the future, then we can avert any crisis in the coming times. We are well aware of the present and future challenges, Food Security is one of them. In the coming decades, India will complete the centenary of Independence, by that time the population will also increase, whereas due to the works like infrastructural development, the laying of new railway lines in large numbers, construction of world-class national highways for modern and developed India, we have to be prepared for the possible reduction in the area under cultivation.

There is a need to think from now on how much food we will need till the year 2050 and how much global demand will increase from us. In this direction, the Central Government is making all efforts at its level.

Agriculture Minister addressed the conference on the

AgroPolicy, India, R&D

Union Agriculture Minister chairs the National Conference on Agriculture for Zaid Campaign-2023

Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister chaired the National Conference on Agriculture for Zaid (Summer) Campaign-2023 in New Delhi. On this occasion, Tomar said that India is in a very good position in terms of food grains production and this has been achieved due to the farmer-friendly policies of the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, tireless hard work of farmers and novel research by agricultural scientists. But at the stage where India is today, we cannot sit on our laurels, production should be scaled and on the basis of minute planning, such meaningful results should come out so that in the Agriculture sector, besides meeting the continuous supply of our domestic needs, we can successfully fulfil the world supply demands.

Tomar said that everyone should consider adopting other available alternatives to chemical fertilizers, – nano urea and biofertilizer. About 2.5 lakh crore rupees are being incurred annually on fertilizer subsidies. Apart from saving this amount, healthy products can be done and individual health can be ensured. Due to awareness campaigns, the cultivation area under organic and natural farming is increasing. States should focus on the progress of small farmers through measures like Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi launched by Prime Minister Modi. Krishi Vigyan Kendra and ATMA should work together at the district level to bring about rejuvenation, the State Governments should draw their annual plans for the Agriculture sector and consider how they can make good use of the Central Government schemes for the interest of the farmers. Agriculture and allied Departments/Ministries and States together make up Team India, which should further strengthen the Agriculture sector. He said that Summer Crops are important, which also helps in increasing the income of small farmers. Tomar said that the benefits of the schemes should reach the small farmers by making proper use of the Government funds. The government is also working on the Digital Agriculture Mission, in which cooperation of the States is necessary.

Union Agriculture Minister chairs the National Conference

Agro Universities, AgroPolicy, India

It will give an impetus to the development of agricultural education and research in Arunachal Pradesh, along with other North-eastern states.

Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated Academic-cum-Administrative Building and Transit Hostel of the College of Agriculture under Central Agricultural University, (Imphal) at Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh, in the presence of Pema Khandu, Chief Minister, Government of Arunachal Pradesh, Tapir Gao, Member of Parliament, Er Tage Taki, Minister for Agriculture, Horticulture, Dairy & Fisheries, Government of Arunachal Pradesh, Anupam Mishra, Vice Chancellor, Central Agricultural University, Imphal, Manipur and A K Tripathi, Dean, College of Agriculture, Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh.

Speaking on the occasion, Tomar expressed hope that the new facilities would encourage and motivate the students to work harder. “Agriculture is the fastest growing sector in the country, and the Government of India is making continuous efforts to make farming much profitable. There will be no constraint of central funding for development of the agriculture sector,” he said, adding that “the setting up of this institute will give an impetus to the development of agricultural education and research in Arunachal Pradesh, along with other North-eastern states. There is unlimited potential for organic farming in the North-eastern states, for which the central government and the state government are working together. Giving importance to agriculture in bringing about development and security of livelihood in the Northeast, farming activities are being strengthened by agricultural education and research,” he said.

Pema Khandu, Chief Minister, Government of Arunachal Pradesh credited the central government “for uplifting the image of farmers from ‘poor’ to ‘proud entrepreneurs’ in a span of eight years with its farmer-centric flagship programmes.”Speaking at the function in College of Agriculture in East Siang district on Thursday, Khandu said that “many young entrepreneurs coming up to avail benefits of both central and state flagship programmes are keen to invest in agriculture and allied sectors.” 

On this occasion, a two-day Kisan Mela was also organised wherein around 850 farmers attended the programme.

In the Mela, 20 stalls of public and private sectors showcased their technologies/products. A farmers-scientist interface was also held to get the feedback of farmers on the adoption of improved agricultural technologies of potato and tuber crop cultivation.

Rajesh Kumar, Director, ATARI, Guwahati, officials from 8 KVKs, ICAR Research Complex, Basar, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam Agricultural University, around 65 students, 30 line department officials participated in the Kisan Mela.

It will give an impetus to

Acts & Schemes – Centre, India

Government focused on promoting women farmers in the country

Melinda French Gates, the Co-Chairperson of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, held a meeting with the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar, in New Delhi. During the meeting, Tomar inaugurated the creation of an integrated “Agriculture Investment Portal” by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. In the meeting, Tomar said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government has full focus on promoting women farmers in the country.

In the meeting, Tomar said that there are many challenges in the agriculture sector, to solve which the Government of India is continuously working efficiently under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. He said that the number of small farmers is more in the country, the government believes that if their strength increases, then the agriculture sector will improve and production will also increase, the government is working in this direction. Tomar said that traditional farming methods used to run in the agriculture sector in India, now in the current perspective there is a need for investment in the agriculture sector, in view of which the government has initiated many reforms, incorporated technology in agriculture and to ensure the eligible farmers are provided aid with transparency, the Digital Agriculture Mission has also been started in the country. Tomar told that with the aim of further increasing investment in agriculture, the Government of India has allocated a special package of over Rs 1.5 lakh crore for agriculture and allied sectors under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. Work on these provisions has started, including the Rs 1 lakh crore Agriculture Infrastructure Fund. Once these are implemented, the Indian agriculture sector will be rejuvenated.

Tomar said that a large number of women are also working in the agriculture sector in India. To increase their number and for their continuous progress, the Union Ministry of Rural Development is also running a scheme for the empowerment of women farmers, in which the Ministry of Agriculture is partnering. At the same time, the Ministry of Agriculture spends a certain part of its budget for the upliftment of women farmers. Tomar said that the “Krishi Nivesh Portal” (Agriculture Investment Portal) will prove to be a milestone in terms of investment in the agriculture sector, which will be a centralised one stop portal for agri-investors to avail benefits of various government schemes implemented by various departments related to agriculture and allied sectors. He said that this portal would prove to be handy for the investors, they would get a lot of help from it. Appreciating the work being done by the Gates Foundation in various fields in India, Tomar hoped that working in the agriculture sector in India by the Foundation would prove to be a good experience.

Melinda Gates said she would be happy to work with the Ministry of Agriculture. She wants that there should be maximum involvement of women farmers. She said that the Foundation is working in many countries and has a good experience in India. Melinda Gates expressed happiness over India getting the presidency of G-20 and expressed her desire to always work together. Union Agriculture Secretary Manoj Ahuja and Director General of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Himanshu Pathak also gave their views in the meeting. Joint Secretary Praveen Samuel gave a presentation. Other officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and representatives of the India office of Gates Foundation were present on the occasion.


Government focused on promoting women farmers in

Acts & Schemes – Centre, Cold Storage, India, Packaging & Labelling, Supply Chain, Uncategorized

 New integrated pack houses will help farmers in increasing horticulture export

Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar the inaugurated 30 Integrated Pack Houses across the state at Aterna village in Sonipat (Haryana).  Haryana’s Agriculture Minister Dalal welcomed Union Agriculture Minister Tomar in Haryana. He said that Haryana is a state of farmers. No other state has as many schemes as the Haryana government has brought for the farmers. This includes Crop Insurance Scheme, Bhavantar Bharpayee Yojana, purchase of crops on MSP, proper arrangement of mandis etc. He said that under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Manohar Lal, pack houses have been established in the state through FPOs. This will benefit the farmers.

 Dalal said that cold stores, pack houses are being established in the state. The world’s largest vegetable market is being set up in Gannaur, which will be spread over 5500 acres. It will cost Rs 10,000 crore to make it. This will provide employment to thousands of people.

Tomar said that India is an agricultural country. The importance and priority of agriculture has been accepted by the Central and Haryana Government. History is witness that the village economy has supported in the recession. The world had stopped at the time of Corona. Knowing the problems of the farmers, the central government bought the crop by setting up more purchase centres. That year the sowing of the farmers crop was more than the previous years. The export of agricultural products stood at Rs.4.4 lakh crore.

 New integrated pack houses will help farmers

India, Schemes - Govt

Haryana plans to set up 500 pack houses to revolutionise horticulture in the state

Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister inaugurated 30 Integrated Pack Houses across the state at Aterna village in Sonipat (Haryana) recently.

He said that Haryana is ahead in crop production and horticulture and it cannot be praised enough. Today it is necessary that farmers cultivate new crops, use technology in production and produce quality products. It is a matter of happiness that the farmers of Haryana and the Haryana government are walking on this path. 

During this, Jayprakash Dalal, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Haryana, was also present.

In this programme organised by the Horticulture Department of the Haryana Government, Tomar praised the schemes being run for the farmers in the state. In Haryana, 30 pack houses are being built across the state through FPOs. The Haryana government has planned about 500 pack houses, and not just 100 pack houses in the state. Setting up of 100 pack houses will change the picture of Haryana, while 500 pack houses will bring revolution in the field of horticulture in the state. 

Tomar said that the Government of India and Prime Minister Modi care about the farmers. To help the farmers, the Central Government has deposited Rs 2,17,000 crore in the accounts of crores of farmers under the Kisan Samman Nidhi. Minimum Support Price has been fixed for Rabi and Kharif crops, which is directly benefiting the farmers.

On this occasion, Sonipat’s MP Ramesh Kaushik also welcomed and felicitated Union Minister Tomar on reaching Sonipat.

Haryana plans to set up 500 pack

AgroPolicy, Environment, India, Nature, Sustainability

The portal contains information about the mission, implementation outline, resources, implementation progress, farmer registration, blog

Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Agriculture Minister, recently chaired the first steering committee meeting of the National Natural Farming Mission at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi. In the meeting, Tomar launched the NMNF portal. He said that the mission of natural farming in the country would be taken forward with everyone’s cooperation. In this regard, he asked the officers to coordinate with the State Governments and Central Departments and enable market linkage so that the farmers get more ease in selling their products. Union Rural Development Minister Giriraj Singh and Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Uttar Pradesh Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi, Union Agriculture Secretary Manoj Ahuja and senior officers of various ministries attended the meeting.

The newly launched portal (http://naturalfarming.dac.gov.in/) has been developed by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. It contains all the information about the mission, implementation outline, resources, implementation progress, farmer registration, blog etc., which will be useful for the farmers. Also, this website will help in promoting natural farming in the country.

In the meeting, Union Minister Giriraj Singh said that good initiatives have been taken to promote natural farming. He also gave his suggestions in this regard in the meeting. Jal Shakti Minister Shekhawat said that under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, work is being done for natural farming on the banks of the Ganga. The Ministry of Jal Shakti has made a roadmap by identifying 75 Sahakar Ganga villages in the first phase by signing an MoU with Sahkar Bharti and training has been given to the farmers.

UP Agriculture Minister Shahi said that under the Namami Gange Project, the promotion of natural farming has been started in the state. A target has been set to work in every block and master training has been done.

It was informed in the meeting that more than 4.78 lakh hectares of the additional area have been brought under natural farming in 17 states from December 2021. 7.33 lakh farmers have taken initiative in natural farming. About 23 thousand programs have been organized for the sanitization and training of farmers. Natural farming is being implemented in 1.48 lakh hectares on the banks of the river Ganga in four states.

The portal contains information about the mission,

Agrotech, India

Use of drones is a key component of the Centre’s mission of promoting digital agriculture to strengthen farming sector

Drones are becoming famous in every aspect of life—from social media reels to shipment delivery to traffic monitoring. So how can agriculture stay away? Drones have become a crucial agent for the rapid transformation of the agriculture sector worldwide. And India is no exception to it. The use of drones is a key component of the central government’s mission of promoting digital agriculture to strengthen the farming sector. State governments too are adopting it with vigour as they are experimenting with drones in farming and promoting their use.

Artificial Intelligence enabled drones are used for precision farming that increases productivity and thus farm income. Drones have multi-faceted uses. They make farm operations faster and more efficient. They also help farmers to save significant money by making optimum use of fertilisers and pesticides and by ensuring uniform sowing of seeds. Spraying chemicals is a time-consuming process and it poses a health hazard. Drones can fly at low height (1-3 metre) over the crops, which make the spraying of nutrients and pesticides effective and efficient, as well as allow farmers to assess standing crops through cameras. All this not just facilitates higher productivity but also brings down the expenses on crop inputs.

Farmers in the US, who grew corn, soybean and wheat could save around $1.3 billion every year by incorporating drones in their farm operations. There are reports that drone-led precision farming can reduce input cost by 18-20 per cent while enhancing yield by 30-100 per cent in India. Drones have shown they can be beneficial in planting seeds in the Indo-Gangetic plains, where the rice-wheat cropping system is prevalent.

Farmers can make crop surveillance of the field using infrared cameras and get real-time information about crop growth, infestation, and requirement of inputs. This helps farmers in responding to any problem sooner and take active measures to nip it in the bud. Applications of drones can also be used for mapping water spread areas, pest infestation, and livestock farming besides assisting farmers in adopting good agricultural practices (GAP). Crops can be contamination-free, making them get good export prices.

Government support and encouragement for drones was evident when the Prime Minister of India inaugurated India’s biggest Drone Festival – Bharat Drone Mahotsav in May 2022.

Prime Minister called the use of drones a “milestone” for Indian agriculture and expressed confidence it would create more opportunities. The government of India has extended huge subsidies to different agriculture-related instructors, farmers producers organisations (FPO) and custom hiring centres (CHC) for purchasing and promoting drones under a new scheme of Kisan Drone. These drones are helpful for government agencies also as they can be used for crop assessment of production estimates or to process farm insurance, digitisation of land records, and can expedite claim processing and bring transparency.

Many state governments have shown interest such as the Andhra Pradesh government has decided to procure 200 Kisan Drones, which would solve the problem of labour shortage and health hazards. As excessive rains flooded farms, Karnataka has decided to use drones for crop assessment to bring transparency. Tamil Nadu too has roped in drones as a part of the digital intervention to make agriculture and farming profitable and sustainable.Gujarat, Rajasthan too, have joined the journey of digital revolution.

Drones were used in 2020 to ward off locus attacks, saving millions of hectares of farmland. Farmers are getting first-hand experience in operating drones and their usefulness such as testing the moisture of soil, which is not possible through traditional ways. State governments are confident that drones will be game-changer not only for farmers but for the entire agri economy.

Despite knowing the importance of technology, our agriculture did not adopt it for years. However, we can see a gain in momentum now. Both central and state governments are keen on embracing it. The involvement of agri start-ups, FPOs and CHCs in drone technology will allow farmers especially those financially poor to try new technological solutions. As drones become affordable and easily accessible, more and more farmers will start using them. Moreover, drones can create employment opportunities in rural parts, especially for the tech-savvy youth and bring them back to farms. As they say, artificial intelligence is set to transform the world, drones are going to change the face of farming in the 21st century.

Use of drones is a key component