In the Union Budget 2019-20 presented today, FM Nirmala Sitharaman laid out a 16-point action to set the agriculture sector up for better times. An allocation of Rs 2.83 lakh crore will be made for the agriculture sector, the FM announced.

The following 16 action points indicate our focus.

1. We propose to encourage those state govt who undertake the implementation of the following modern laws already passed & issued by the Central Govt: FM

2. Our Govt is proposing comprehensive measures for 100 water-stressed districts.

3. In the Budget of July 2019, I had stated that Annadata can be Urja-data as well. Now I propose to expand the scheme to provide 20 lakh farmers for setting up stand-alone solar pumps.

4. Our Govt shall encourage balanced use of all kinds of fertilizers including the traditional organic and other innovative fertilizers: FM

5. NABARD will exercise and map and Geo-Tag them. In addition, we propose creating warehousing in line with warehouse development and regulate the authority WDRA norms: FM

6. As a backward linkage, a village storage scheme is proposed. To be run by SHGs, this will provide farmers a good holding capacity and reduce their logistics cost. Women SHGs can avail of Mudra or NABARD assistance and regain their position as Dhanya-Lakshmi: FM

7. Krishi Udaan will be launched by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

8. To build a national cold-supply chain for perishables inclusive of milk, meat, and fish, the Indian Railways will set up a Kisan Rail through PPP arrangement: FM

9. Horticulture sector, with its current produce of 311 million metric tonnes, exceeds the production of food grain. For better marketing and export, we propose supporting states which adopting a cluster basis, will focus on one product, one district: FM

10. Integrated farming systems in rain-fed areas shall be expanded. Multi-tied cropping, solar pumps, solar energy production in non-cropping season will be added. Zero-budget national farming will also be continued: FM

11. Financing on negotiable warehousing receipts, ENWR, has already crossed more than 6,000 crores. This will be integrated with the e-National Agriculture Market: FM