Mysuru: The income of farmers will not just double but increase further provided they adopt technologies and add value to produce and export them, said Union minister of state for agriculture and farmers welfare Kailash Choudhary.
After inaugurating the three-day TechBharat - Transforming India’s Foodtech and Agronomic Landscape, organised by Laghu Udyog Bharati, IMS foundation in association with CSIR-CFTRI at CFTRI campus here on Thursday, the minister said that growing and selling products will not fetch much income. “If exported, income can be increased beyond fivefold,” he said.
“Farmers must focus on exporting the produce. Earlier, India was dependent on other nations for agricultural produce, but today we have a surplus, and opportunities to export. All this has been possible because of the efforts of our farmers,” he said.
The government is providing support to farmers by providing financial assistance — loans up to Rs 2 crores under the Agri Infrastructure Fund scheme and farmers must make use of it, he said.
The minister also shared success stories like that of some students from Bihar who created jobs for women in the agri sector by growing mushrooms.
The minister on the occasion shared success stories wherein plus students from Bihar created jobs for women in the Agri sector by growing mushrooms and Farmer Producers Organizations are playing a vital role in educating about the technologies and resources avail: able, Choudhary explained.
State minister for agriculture BC Patil said time has come to discuss agriculture. “There is a need to encourage farmers to set up their own processing units so that they are benefitted,” he said.
“Today, agri start-ups are mushrooming and more jobs are created in the sector. In Bengaluru alone, over 4,000 start-ups have come up in the previous year,” the minister disclosed. “Madhukeshwar from Sirsi who was without a penny a decade back is today earning in crores after getting into beekeeping. Likewise, Nagaraj from Kolar too is earning in lakhs from sheep farming. Farmers need to be educated on such small businesses to improve their income,” the minister added.
Member of royal family of Mysuru Yaduveer Wadiyar and CFTRI director Sridevi Annapurna Singh and Israeli economist Shirvint Emanuel were present.
Source: TOI