Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday announced that ethanol blending with petrol has increased from 40 crore litres in 2014 to 400 crore litres now. He told a large crowd after inaugurating various projects of the Sabar Dairy near Himmatnagar town in Sabarkantha district of north Gujarat that blending ethanol with gasoline has increased farmers' income.
According to him, the government's decision to mix ethanol with gasoline has helped farmers increase their income because ethanol is derived from farm products such as sugarcane and maize. "Today, the ethanol-to-petroleum blend ratio exceeds 10%. Ethanol is derived from sugarcane and maize. Prior to 2014, the amount of ethanol blended with gasoline was less than 40 crore litres. It has now risen to 400 crore litres," Modi stated in his speech.
Apart from farming, he claims that the promotion of allied business activities such as cattle-rearing, horticulture, fisheries, and honey production has helped farmers increase their income.
"Farmers' income has increased today as a result of the Centre's consistent efforts over the last eight years." "This has primarily benefited landless and marginal farmers," the Prime Minister stated. "Our strategy of focusing on alternative sources of income is yielding positive results." "The turnover of Khadi and Village Industries has surpassed Rs 1 lakh crore for the first time," he said.
In the last eight years, the Khadi and Village Industries sector has employed 1.5 crore people in villages, he claims. Because the Centre is also working to reduce agricultural costs, it has not imposed any price increases on fertilizers, despite the fact that global prices have risen dramatically in recent years. "We purchase urea from other countries."
Despite the fact that global prices have risen dramatically in recent years, we have not passed that cost on to farmers. A 50 kg bag of urea costs the government Rs 3,500. "However, we sell it to farmers for just Rs 300," Modi explained.
Due to the exponential price rise in international markets, the central government's subsidy burden on a bag of DAP fertilizer has now risen to Rs 2,500, he said. Modi also stated that his government decided to launch a campaign to ban single-use plastic because he witnessed the negative effects of plastic material while serving as Gujarat's chief minister.
"Doctors used to remove 15 to 20 kg of plastic waste from a cow's stomach during cattle health fairs. That is why we have started this movement to ban plastic "He stated. Modi commemorated the Pal-Chitariya massacre and tribal freedom fighter Motilal Tejawat, who led a rebellion against British rule. In retaliation, the British killed over 1,000 tribal insurgents in Sabarkantha district villages Pal-Chitariya and Dadhvaav in 1922.
"For the first time, our country's daughter from a Scheduled Tribe community has risen to the highest constitutional position. Droupadi Murmu was elected President of India by the people. This is a source of great pride for all 130 million citizens "Modi stated.
"The dream of our great ancestors who sacrificed their lives for the country of having an inclusive democracy is now coming true," he added. Prior to his speech, Modi visited the newly inaugurated Sabar Dairy facilities and spoke with some progressive women cattle-rearers from the region. He inaugurated the Sabarkantha District Co-operative Milk Producers' Union Ltd, also known as the Sabar Dairy, a Rs 305 crore milk powder plant near Himmatnagar town.
