Raisen (Madhya Pradesh) [India], December 13 : Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday emphasised the need to transform farmers' lives by increasing their income.
Speaking at a Farmers' Seminar and Exhibition Program in Raisen, Madhya Pradesh, Chouhan underscored the importance of animal husbandry in boosting farmers' incomes.
"We need to transform the lives of farmers, and for that, we must increase their income," he said.
The Union Minister also spoke about the National Dairy Research Institute, a premier Asian institution, which supports efforts to increase farmers' incomes through animal husbandry.
"The National Dairy Research Institute is an institution of the Government of India, which is also the best institute in Asia in the field of dairy... One way to increase income is animal husbandry...," said Chouhan.
Chouhan handed over kits to 500 farmers, providing training in animal husbandry to enhance their skills and income.
"Today, 500 farmers who are working in the field of animal husbandry are being given a kit... They are also being provided training in animal husbandry... Our goal is to start animal husbandry to increase income and ensure better implementation of other schemes so that the standard of living of the people rises...," said the Union Minister.
He highlighted the Government's focus on increasing farmers' incomes through animal husbandry. He cited examples: the Laadli Behna Yojna, which disburses funds directly into women's bank accounts, and the Kishan Samaan Vidhi Yojna, which provides Rs 6,000 annually to farmers.
He added that while government schemes to increase individual income are helpful, individuals would need to take up poultry and other ventures.
"This seminar would instruct you on how to take care of your animals, such as cows and chickens. Only farming wouldn't work now, and to improve your income, these ventures would have to be adopted...If there is somebody who wants to learn about milk distribution, we would help them connect with banks to procure the animals needed," he added.
Chouhan emphasised that merely owning livestock isn't enough; farmers need expertise in animal care, vaccination, feed management, and disease prevention to reap benefits. He lauded the National Dairy Research Institute's initiative, led by Dheer Singh, to organise the seminar and equip farmers with essential skills.
He concluded his speech by saying that the event representatives would impart their knowledge of animal husbandry. They would also share guidance on using government schemes as effectively as possible.
Doubling Farmers' Income (DFI) was a major Indian government goal (2016-2022/23) focused on increasing farmer income security by boosting productivity, cutting costs, ensuring better prices, managing risks, and diversifying sources (farm/non-farm) through tech, infrastructure, market reforms (like e-NAM), and schemes (PM-KISAN).
While challenging, some cash crops saw significant gains, driven by improved seeds, soil health, irrigation, value addition (processing), and market linkages to enhance returns beyond cultivation.