Modi's new slogan to farmers: Per drop, more crop

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday urged the farming community to evolve a new policy for water conservation and improve their knowledge about soil behaviour for getting better yields.

"I am on a new mission of per drop - more crop," Modi said launching an electronic trading platform, the national agriculture market -- eNAM.

"With each drop of water saved, we can usher in a new era of progress and prosperity," Modi said.

He stressed the need for farmers to improve their knowhow about soil behaviour.

Modi also said that while emphasis should be given to technological upgradation in the fields, the old practice of "flood irrigation has become a thing of past".

"Farmers should not merely think that abundant water only can bring in better results. For instance, even for sugarcane sprinkling water helps to get better yields," he said.

The e-NAM trading mechanism proposes to integrate 585 regulated wholesale markets or agriculture produce market committees (APMCs) under one electronic platform within a couple of years.

The eNAM will allow farmers to sell their produce to highest bidders.

It will initially aim at integrating 21 mandis in eight states -- Uttar Pradesh (6), Gujarat (3), Telangana (5), Rajasthan (1), Madhya Pradesh (1), Haryana (2), Jharkhand (1) and Himachal Pradesh (2).

Launched with a budget allocation of Rs.200 crore, as many as 25 key commodities, including wheat, paddy, maize, onion, jowar, bajra, groundnut, potato, soyabean and mustard seed, have been selected for e-trading, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh had said on Wednesday.

Fruits and vegetables normally known for price fluctuations, however, have not yet included in the platform, officials said here.