Sitharaman's Turn to Chant 'Dhan-Dhanya' Mantra

In her eighth Union Budget in a row, the Union Finance minister Nirmala focussed on 10 broad areas, the first engine of which is the agriculture sector.

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

Mrs Sitharaman said that the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana will cover 100 districts with low productivity. It will enhance agricultural productivity, adopt crop diversification and sustainable agriculture practices, augment post-harvest storage at the panchayat and block level, improve irrigation facilities and facilitate availability of long-term and short-term credit.

The scheme would cover as many as 1.7 crore farmers. The programme, which will be launched with the states, will aim to grow ample opportunities for the farmers, she said.

That's not all. The Union Finance Minister left no stone unturned to involve global practice in Indian agriculture.

Mrs Sitharaman said that global practices and domestic best practices will be incorporated and appropriate technical and financial assistance will be sought from multilateral development banks.