Sitharaman announces 16 action points to focus on blue economy and animal husbandry

During her budget speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday proposed 16 action points focusing on horticulture sector, food storage, animal husbandry and blue economy. Keeping resource financing in mind, Sitharaman stressed to encourage balanced use of all kinds of fertilizers and Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF). She further proposed integration of negotiable warehousing receipts (e-NWR) and National Agricultural Market (e-NAM).

Here are the 16 action points proposed by Sitharaman: 

1. To promote storage infrastructure and reduce wastage of food grains Sitharaman proposed creation of warehouses through viability gap funding on a PPP mode at block level
2. To build a seamless national cold supply chain for perishables, inclusive of milk, meat, Sitharaman said, “Indian Railways will set up Kisan Rail-through PPP arrangements.
3. To help improve value realization especially in North-East and tribal districts Krishi Udaan will be launched by the Ministry of Civil Aviation
4. Sitharaman aimed to eliminate Foot and Mouth disease, brucellosis in cattles and peste des petits ruminants (PPR) in sheep and goat by 2025 and to increase coverage of artificial insemination from 30 percent to 70 percent
5. Setting agriculture credit target of rupees 15 lakh crore for the year 2020-21, she stated that all eligible beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) will be covered under the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme. 
6. For better marketing and export, Sitharaman proposed to support states which will one product one district scheme
7. Framework for development, management and conservation of marine fishery resources and promotion of algae, sea weed and cage culture that will assist in raising fish production to 200 lakh tonnes by 2022-23.
8. Government will involve youth in fishery extension through 3477 sagar mitras and 500 fish farmer producer organizations. She hopes to raise fishery export to rupees 1 lakh crore by 2024-25.
9. Sitharaman also proposed to encourage those states governments who undertake implementation of Model Agricultural Land Leasing Act, 2016; Model Agricultural Produce and livestock Marketing (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2017 and Model Agricultural produce and Livestock Contract Farming and services (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2018.
10. She also proposed to expand PM-KUSUM to 20 lakh farmers for setting up stand alone solar pumps and help another 15 lakh farmers solarise their grid connected pump sets
11. Sitharaman proposed to operationalize scheme to enable farmers to set up solar power generation capacity on their fallow/barren lands and to sell it to grid
12. The finance minister proposed integration of negotiable warehousing receipts (e-NWR) and National Agricultural Market (e-NAM).
13. Integrated farming systems for rainfed areas shall be expanded. Multi-tier cropping, bee keeping, solar pumps, solar energy production in non cropping season will be added
14. The portal on “Jaivik kheti” – online national organic products market will also be strengthened
15. Government is proposing comprehensive measures for one hundred water stressed districts.
16. Sitharaman further stressed to encourage balanced use of all kinds of fertilizers and Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF).

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