Shillong, August 12: Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a meeting with farmers here has reiterated his commitment to working at triple the speed in his third term for their welfare.
Citing the recent initiatives for farmers as evidence of his government’s sincerity, the PM said that his government has advocated for sustainable farming practices and climate-resilient methodologies to bolster farmers’ income.
PM Modi was interacting with farmers at the India Agricultural Research Institute in the national capital (ICAR) in the national capital on Sunday where he released 109 high-yielding and climate-resilient varieties of crops. The 109 varieties of 61 crops included 34 field crops and 27 horticultural crops.
The PM expressed immense joy in dedicating these new crop varieties to the farmers, who were excited at the initiatives.
While underscoring his emphasis on research and innovation in agriculture, PM Modi recalled the iconic phrase “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan” coined by Lal Bahadur Shastri and the subsequent addition of “Jai Vigyan” by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
The Prime Minister highlighted how he has added “Jai Anusandhan” to this phrase, giving utmost priority to research and innovation. The release of 109 new crop varieties is a tangible outcome of his focus on innovation in agriculture, bringing research to life on the ground.
While interacting with the farmers, the PM noted that they are conscious of their responsibility towards Mother Earth and are voluntarily transitioning away from pesticides. This shift towards natural farming is yielding better results for them, he noted.
PM Modi also highlighted that significant milestones are on the horizon as farmers are increasingly adopting natural farming.
The PM also suggested solutions for farmers to adopt new varieties. He asked farmers whether they were open to using new varieties of seed or waiting for others to use it first.
The PM also suggested that they use the new variety in a small section or at four corners of their land and use it after the satisfactory results of their experiment.
While farmers noted that the new varieties will be highly beneficial as they will help reduce their expenditure and also have a positive impact on the environment, the scientists informed that they have been working in line with the suggestion given by the Prime Minister to bring unutilised crops into the mainstream.
The farmers also appreciated the efforts undertaken by the government to promote natural farming and also lauded the role played by Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK) in creating awareness.
The “KVKs should proactively inform farmers about the benefits of the new varieties being developed every month to enhance awareness about their benefits,” the PM said
Earlier in the day, when PM Modi went to interact with farmers, it started raining heavily.
The officials urged the PM that the interaction be cancelled but the Prime Minister insisted that he would interact with farmers despite rain.
And, when it came to holding umbrellas, the PM told security that he would hold his umbrella himself. Rather he also offered to hold umbrellas for farmers as well. (IANS)