Vellore (Tamil Nadu) [India], October 25 : Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday emphasised the need for central and state governments to work together to ensure farmers receive the full benefits of government schemes. He also held a meeting with farmers.
Speaking to the reporters, Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, "I have come to serve the farmers. In the federal structure, there should not be just accusations and counter-accusations, but we should work together. The Government of India has purchased as much paddy as it has ever purchased before. To give farmers the right price, we have increased the MSP for paddy... Today, I am very pleased to have met the farmers of Tamil Nadu... I request the state government that the central and state governments should work together to properly implement these schemes on the ground so that farmers get the full benefit..."
Earlier on October 11, Shivraj Singh Chouhan stated that, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government ensured that the surge in global fertiliser prices did not impact Indian farmers.
"A bag of urea continues to be available at just Rs 266, and DAP (Di-Ammonium Phosphate) at Rs 1,350, due to massive government subsidies," he said at an event held at Pusa, Delhi, where PM Modi unveiled a series of transformative initiatives for India's agriculture and allied sectors.
The Union Minister also noted that the reduction in GST on agricultural machinery has made modern equipment more affordable for farmers across the nation.
Chouhan highlighted that the Central government has significantly increased the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for major crops: by Rs 160 per quintal for wheat, Rs 200 or more for gram, Rs 300 for lentil, Rs 250 for mustard, and Rs 600 for sunflower.
The Union Agriculture Minister also stated that under the 'PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi', Rs 3.90 lakh crore have been directly transferred into farmers' bank accounts. Through the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme, loans worth over Rs 10 lakh crore were disbursed in FY 2024-25, alongside interest subsidies of Rs 1.62 lakh crore. The 'Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana' provided compensation exceeding Rs 1.83 lakh crore to insured farmers.