Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday said the government aimed to provide the benefits of the ‘Digital India’ initiative to the country’s farmers, for which a virtual platform of a national agricultural market is in the works.
Plans were also underway to connect 550 farmer markets in the country through the use of technology, Modi said while formally launching the ‘Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana’ at a farmers’ rally in Sherpur in Sihore district of Madhya Pradesh.
Giving details of the programmes and schemes launched by the central government for the farmers, Modi said the national agricultural market will provide a platform so that the farmers get the maximum price for their produce.
He said the prices of various farm produce varied in different markets in the country but the farmers sold their yield at the nearest available market.
This resulted in unremunerative prices to the farmers, which was sought to be redressed by the virtual platform of national agricultural market, Modi said.
The prime minister said the ‘Digital India’ initiative would also help the farmers by giving them access to information on the best price offered for farm produce on their mobile phones in an instant.
He said that the Prime Minister’s Crop Insurance Scheme, launched by the government last month, will be a panacea for all problems faced by the farmers.
“Farmers did not believe in the crop insurance policies of the previous United Progressive Alliance government. It is the main reason that not even 20% farmers in the country opted for crop insurance. We have now come up with this scheme keeping in mind the lack of interest among farmers,”
Taking a dig at the previous UPA government, the prime minister said the earlier insurance schemes benefited the companies and not farmers. He said the new crop insurance scheme will definitely benefit the farmers.
Modi honoured Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan with ‘Krishi Karman’ award. Modi was also felicitated on behalf of the state’s farmers.