Modi outlines 7-point strategy to double farmers' income

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday unveiled a seven-point strategy to double the income of farmers in six years with measures to step up irrigation, provide better quality seeds and prevent post-harvest losses.

"In the past, the emphasis has been on agricultural output, rather than on farmers' incomes. I've set the objective of doubling the farmers' income by 2022," the prime minister told the Bloomberg India Economic Forum here.

"I have laid this out as a challenge. But it is not merely a challenge. With a good strategy, well-designed programmes, adequate resources and good governance in implementation, this target is achievable."

He also listed his seven strategies:

- Big focus on irrigation with large budgets, with the aim of "per drop, more crop"

- Provision of quality seeds and nutrients based on soil health of each field

- Large investments in warehousing and cold chains to prevent post-harvest crop losses

- Promotion of value addition through food processing

- Creation of a national farm market, removing distortions and e-platform across 585 stations

- Introduction of a new crop insurance scheme to mitigate risks at affordable cost

- Promotion of ancillary activities like poultry, beekeeping and fisheries.

"I am confident we will achieve the targeted doubling of farmers' income," he said, adding the doyen of Indian agriculture, M.S. Swaminathan, had himself written to him, saying the policies adopted hy his government were farmer-centric with a new income-orientation in farming.