Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday assured Karnataka farmers of creating brand value for some of their produce by creating a crop-wise cluster of cultivation areas besides creating infrastructure to facilitate their exports.
“Belagavi and Mysuru are known for pomegranate, Bengaluru and Chickballapur are known for rose onions, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, and Kodagu are known for coffee. These produce will be identified and a brand will be created,” Mr. Modi said after transferring the fourth instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi to the bank accounts of farmers across India, at a convention here.
Value addition
He said geographical clusters had been identified to recognise the produce from their cultivation places, and value addition would be made and infrastructure provided to facilitate exports from these districts.
To support coffee growers, value addition to the commodity would be made through integrated coffee development programme. More emphasis would be laid on the production of nutri-cereals and on organic farming, he said.
Mr. Modi, who was wearing a green shawl to empathise with farmers, called upon all States to implement the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana in 2020 to help growers financially. Politics in the implementation of the pro-farmer programme would affect the farming the community, he said.
The role of farmers was important in making India a $5-trillion economy and the government would lay more emphasis on commercial crops and export of agricultural products, the Prime Minister said.
South India’s soil, temperature, and its water connectivity are favourable for agri-exports and the government would utilise them to make a New India, he said.
He said, “We should become self-reliant in the production of rubber and farmers should grow rubber on a large scale to meet the demand.”
Strengthening fisheries
Mr. Modi said the government was trying to strengthen the fisheries sector by encouraging fishery in villages by providing financial assistance, modernising fishing boats under the Blue Revolution scheme, and providing modern infrastructure to promote trade and business in the sector.
He presented Krishi Karman awards to progressive farmers of various States and fishing equipment, including transponders, to fishermen, at the programme. Union Minister for Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Ministers Kailash Choudhary, D.V. Sadananda Gowda, Pralhad Joshi, and Suresh Angadi, Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, and the Chief Ministers of Uttarakhand and Manipur were among those present.
