New Delhi, March 17 (IANS) Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that the government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has accorded the highest priority to farmers’ income and security through a series of measures, including promoting profitable alternative crops in place of harmful crops like tobacco, ensuring historic procurement at minimum support price (MSP), introducing revolutionary reforms in the crop insurance scheme, and establishing a strict monitoring mechanism.

Replying to various questions raised by Members of Parliament in the Lower House, Chouhan said that the government has not only appealed to farmers to move away from tobacco cultivation but has also identified strong and profitable alternatives in regions where tobacco is grown.

These alternatives include hybrid maize, chilli, sweet potato, cotton, potato, chia, feed beans, cowpea, ragi, red gram, sugarcane, soybean, sorghum and groundnut, so that farmers’ cash income remains secure, he mentioned.

The minister said that most farmers in the country have small landholdings, and in such circumstances, dependence on a single crop is risky. Therefore, the government has developed several models of integrated farming and initiated demonstrations of these models in different states.

Under these models, farmers can adopt a combination of activities such as cultivation of cereals (wheat and paddy), vegetables, fruits, animal husbandry, fisheries, beekeeping, goat rearing and agro-forestry. By integrating these activities, farmers can ensure stable and higher income throughout the year.

Chouhan further stated that to ensure remunerative prices for farmers’ produce, the MSP of all major crops, including wheat, paddy, pulses and oilseeds, has been increased, and historic procurement at MSP is currently underway in the ongoing season.

He emphasised that it is the present government that has made arrangements for pulses such as tur, masoor and urad, whereby farmers, after registering themselves, can bring any quantity for sale and the government remains committed to procuring the entire quantity. This, he said, has provided significant support to pulse-growing farmers.

He said that earlier, under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, farmers often had to wait for several months to receive compensation. However, the government has introduced comprehensive amendments in the rules, making it mandatory for insurance companies to provide compensation even if the crop loss affects a single farmer.

The minister pointed out that after the yield data becomes available, if the insurance claim amount is not credited to the farmer’s account within 21 days, both the insurance companies and the state governments will be required to make the payment along with 12 per cent interest. This provision, he said, ensures that farmers do not suffer due to delays and are protected from a double burden.

Chouhan stressed that in line with PM Modi’s resolve of “I will not take bribes, nor allow others to take”, any irregularities in crop insurance or other schemes will not be tolerated. He informed that complaints received through digital platforms, including the Krishi Rakshak Portal, are being examined seriously, and strict action is taken wherever irregularities are found.

He also highlighted that in various states, particularly Rajasthan, thousands of crores of rupees under crop insurance have been directly transferred to farmers’ bank accounts through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system in recent years.

–IANS

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