The Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated the summit organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Tractor and Mechanization Association (TMA) on Farm Machinery Technology.
On the occasion of Farm Machinery Technology organized by CII and TMA, Tomar said that there are about 85 per cent of small farmers in the country, should get the benefit of technology-machinery.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government is continuously working in this direction at every possible level. 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, the establishment of CHCs, hi-tech hubs, Farm Machinery Banks (FMBs) under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM). Also, state governments have distributed Rs. 15.24 lakh farm machinery and equipment on subsidy including power tillers, tractors, and automated machinery.
The Chief Guest Union Minister Tomar announced that the Government of India had reduced the maximum time limit for completing the test by the "Central Agricultural Machinery Training and Testing Institute" (CFMTTI), Budni (M.P.), to a maximum of 75 working days. Additionally, the Central Government trained 1.64 lakh trainees between 2014–15 and 2022–2023 through its four FMTTI-approved authorised exam centres.
A significant entrance to the field of the Agricultural Infrastructure Fund is the sum of one lakh crore rupees. Farmers are receiving assistance from projects that have been approved. Along with the introduction of a drone policy, subsidies are being offered to several groups, including farmers, members of the SC-ST category, and women farmers. A crop-specific SOP has also been issued for the use of drones to apply pesticides.
According to Tomar, even under difficult conditions, no one could dismantle the foundation of our agriculture-based rural economy because it is the focus of the nation.
The country currently ranks first or second in the world for agricultural products, which is a result of the efforts of farmers, the contributions of scientists and businesses, and farmer-friendly policies of the government with the aid of technology.
However, we must not stop there. Instead, we must create a roadmap that takes into account the needs of the population, which is expected to grow by 2050, as well as the growing importance of India in the global political environment. In doing so, we will be able to meet the needs of both our nation and those of other nations. Under the direction of Prime Minister Shri Modi, a new kind of workplace culture has emerged in the nation since 2014.
Hope has been diffused throughout the nation and the world by the transformations that have occurred in these years. If the resolution of the government is strong and the intention of the leader is good, then the request is good and the ability to accept it also increases. Today, India is ahead of America, Japan and Germany in cashless transactions.
Bhartendu Kapoor, Mukul Varshney, Krishna Kant Tiwari, Antony Cherukara and other office bearers and members were present in the program. The conference is attended by stakeholders including original equipment manufacturers, policy planners, suppliers, and product development and design firms.
The Union Minister said that we are in the competition of production and we should increase it by comparing it with the production of foreign countries instead of the figures of previous years of our own country. We have to keep on increasing the production of food grains even if the land is less. Agricultural scientists have importance in this, as well as the importance of technology including machines has also increased in the present circumstances. The wastelands should also be made cultivable and according to the demand of the time, there is a need to increase the attraction of the new generation towards agriculture.
The government is working in this direction under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. Farmers' access to the market has also been increased through e-NAM Mandis and the gaps in the agriculture sector are being filled, for which Rs 1.5 lakh crore has been earmarked for agriculture and allied sectors. More than 1000 packages have been given. He emphasized taking technology like micro irrigation to a maximum number of farmers while saving water.
