New Delhi: Following a year of protests by farmers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with farmers across the country on Wednesday. Modi’s outreach to Indian farmers, who have been blighted by drought and a collapse in crop prices in the first four years of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, comes ahead of crucial state polls this year and the general elections which are likely next year.
The prime minister is likely to discuss flagship schemes launched by his government on crop insurance, soil health, electronic marketing and the promise to fix minimum support prices at 50% over cost of production—key interventions with which it is hoping to double real farmer incomes by the year 2022 (with 2015-16 as the base year).
According to a statement from the agriculture ministry, the event will be broadcast directly to Krishi Vigyan Kendras and common service centres in rural India and the interaction will be telecast live on the government’s Doordarshan and DD Kisan channels, and the All India Radio.
Farmers will also be able to interact with the prime minister via the Narendra Modi App, the ministry statement said.
Modi’s outreach comes at a time when farmers are busy planting their summer crops on the back of a normal monsoon forecast by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Ahead of the kharif harvest in October, the government is planning to announce new price support schemes to help farmers, especially those growing pulses and oilseeds, to get a better price for their produce.
Following consecutive years of record harvests in 2016-17 and 2017-18, farmers in several states hit the streets demanding higher crop prices and a waiver of loans. Upcoming elections in agrarian states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh is likely to intensify protests by farmer groups.