Union Agriculture Minister Inaugurates Farm Machinery Technology Summit, Small Farmers To Get Benefits

The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar, inaugurated the Summit on Farm Machinery Technology organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Tractor and Mechanization Association (TMA). In his speech, Shri Tomar highlighted the need to provide small farmers in India with access to technology and machinery.

He stated that the government has released Rs. 6120.85 crores to the states from 2014-15 to 2022-23 for various activities like training, testing, setting up of CHCs, hi-tech hubs, and Farm Machinery Banks (FMBs) under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM). Additionally, 15.24 lakh farm machinery and equipment, including tractors, power tillers, and automated machinery, have been distributed at subsidized rates through state governments.

Shri Tomar also discussed the new system implemented at the Central Farm Machinery Training and Testing Institute (CFMTTI) in Budni, Madhya Pradesh. The Government of India has reduced the time taken for complete tractor testing to a maximum of 75 working days. Moreover, 1.64 lakh workers have been trained by the Central Government through its four FMTTI-designated authorized test centres from 2014-15 to 2022-23. Shri Tomar highlighted the importance of the Rupees One lakh crore Agricultural Infrastructure Fund, which has approved projects worth Rs. 14,000 crores that benefit farmers.

The government is promoting Kisan drones and has introduced a drone policy while providing subsidies to various sections, including farmers, the SC-ST category, and women farmers. Crop-specific standard operating procedures have been issued for the application of pesticides with drones.

Shri Tomar emphasized that the government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is continuously working to provide small farmers with access to technology and machinery. The government's efforts aim to increase agricultural productivity and double farmers' income.

Shri Tomar said that agriculture is a priority of the country, and no one could destroy the fabric of our agriculture-based rural economy even in adverse circumstances. In terms of agricultural products, India stands at Number One or Second rank in the world today, which is a result of the hard work of the farmers, the contribution of scientists and industry, and the farmer-friendly policies of the government with the support of technology.

 The Union Minister said that when we are in the competition of production, 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 a crucial role 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 attract the new generation towards agriculture. The government is working in this direction under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Modi. Farmers' access to the market has also been increased through e-NAM mandis and the gaps in the agriculture sector are being filled up, for which more than Rs 1.5 lakh crore packages have been earmarked for Agriculture and Allied sectors. He emphasized taking technology like micro-irrigation to the maximum number of farmers while saving water.

-With PIB Inputs

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