Atmanirbhar Bharat: A Consolidated List of All Agricultural Reforms Announced in the Special Economic Package

The pandemic Coronavirus is hard-hitting, not only for the wellbeing of the citizens but also for different economies of the world. Talking about the Indian economy, the virus has pulled the economy of India further steps back from achieving its ambitious target of becoming a massive ‘five-trillion economy’. The pandemic has made all the small businesses go vanished in just two months of lockdown, leaving millions of people unemployed. Being an agrarian nation, the country is largely dependent on the agricultural activities for maintaining a good GDP. With the two-month-long lockdown, the supply chain has been largely disrupted and has left some critical gaps in agricultural infrastructure and logistics systems. 

To combat the downgrading of the economy, the Modi government had announced its ambitious scheme called Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, which has many reforms for the agriculture sector and its allied activities. In the third tranche of the measures announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, many reforms have been mentioned.  

Here is a consolidate list of all the agriculture reforms as the part of the special economic package:

• The agricultural cooperative societies, farmer producer organizations (FPOs), and start-ups will be given funds worth ₹1 lakh crores to encourage farm-gate infrastructure. 

• For the formalization of micro-food enterprises, ₹10,000 crores will be provided. Agriculture will take a cluster-based farming approach in the following year. 

• The fishermen will be allocated ₹20,000 crores under PM Matsya Sampadana Yojana. This is being done to boost the fishery segment. The fish production is expected to grow more than 70 lakh tonnes over 5 years with this fund allocation. 

• To ensure 100% vaccination of cattle, buffalos, sheep, goats, and pigs, a fair amount of ₹13,000 crores has been allocated. Animal husbandry infrastructure has gained a ₹15,000 crore under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Scheme. 

• To carry out the efficient promotion of herbal cultivation, ₹4,000 crores have been allotted. It is expected to boost herbal cultivation in an area of 10 lakh hectare in 2 years. 

• The beekeeping segment has been assigned ₹500 crores.  

• The Essential Commodities Act, 1955, will be amended to de-regulate cereals, edible oils, oilseeds, pulses, onion, and potato. 

• Reforms in the agri-marketing are to be given serious concern to provide adequate choice to farmers for selling their produce at fair prices.