Union Budget 2020: Modi Government Committed To Doubling Farmers' Income By 2022: Nirmala Sitharaman

Farm markets need to be liberalised and the government is proposing to hand-hold farmers, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday. Presenting the Budget for 2020-21, Sitharaman said the government is proposing a 16-point action plan to boost agriculture and farmers' welfare. Sitharaman said agricultural services need copious investments, and added that the government has insured 6.11 crore farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna. "Everything that we do, speak through budget, everything that the government does is for the country," she said.

The government has asked states to adopt three central model laws on agricultural land leasing, marketing and contract farming, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday.

Presenting the Budget for 2020-21, Sitharaman said farmers will be be allowed to set up solar units on barren/fallow lands and supply power to grids. The finance minister further said 20 lakh farmers will be provided funds for setting up standalone solar pumps.

The government has also proposed a comprehensive measure for 100 water stressed districts, she added. Besides, the Centre also proposes plans to help farmers use proper manure and little water and encourage balanced use of fertilisers, the minister said.

Balanced use of fertiliser will bring about change in prevailing regime of providing incentive for use of chemical fertiliser, Sitharaman said. The finance minister also said that Food Corporation of India and Warehousing Corporation of India to build warehousing facility on their land. She said NABARD will map and geo-tab 162 million tonne capacity agri-warehouses across the country.