NEW DELHI: PM Modi on Saturday made a strong pitch for agricultural reforms legislated by the government saying that they increase the marketing options for farmers without taking away the one of trading through mandis.
Addressing the annual general meeting of FICCI, the PM said while mandis are being strengthened and modernised, the new laws give farmers the option of selling their produce anywhere. His comments come in the backdrop of a deadlock between farmer groups agitating against the new agriculture laws and the Centre.
Referring to the economic uncertainties around the Covid-19 pandemic, the PM said the situation, however, appeared to have changed by December when economic indicators are now quite encouraging.
“We have answers (to those problems) as well as a roadmap (for recovery).… The things learnt by the nation at the time of cri sis have further strengthened the resolutions of future,” said Modi while addressing FICCI’s 93rd annual convention.
“In the match of 20-20, we saw a lot of things changing rapidly. But the year 2020 baffled everyone. But it’s good that the situation is now improving at the same pace as it got deteriorated earlier," said the PM.
He said the reforms are aimed at bringing down the barriers that exist between various sectors and are the only way forward for a farm economy plagued by the small size of land holdings and importantly, opening the doors to enhanced investment.
The PM said the reforms would help bring investment to strengthen cold storage and food processing infrastructure for the benefit of farmers. “Investment in the sector will help our small and marginal farmers. We don’t want walls between different sectors. We want more and more bridges to support each other,” said the PM.
Modi said the private sector has not done enough to tap investment opportunities in the agri-sector (cold chain etc) and asserted that the measures taken in the recent past , such as allowing the blending of ethanol with petrol, will help improve farm incomes.
He said the Centre is committed to protect the interests of farmers through its ‘niti’ (policy) and ‘niyat’ (intention), noting that the new farm laws will give them new markets, access to technology and help bring invest ments in agriculture. The PM, however, asked industries to show their interest and increase investment in the farm sector.
He also urged the industry to invest in rural areas, including the agriculture sector, as investments would open new opportunities for people in those areas. “The ambitions of rural India are increasingly on the rise. They want socio-economic mobility, and the government is trying to fulfil these ambitions,” Modi said.