Focussed on improving lives of small farmers: PM

Strengthening the rural economy is needed to achieve the goal of Viksit Bharat or developed India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday, adding that his government was focussing on improving the lives of small farmers through various schemes and initiatives linked to animal husbandry, fisheries and bee-keeping, among others.

Modi's comments came in Gujarat amid farmer protests in Punjab and Haryana, where thousands of farmers have camped at the border separating the two northern states for two weeks demanding minimum support prices for 23 crops.

"The previous government had a fragmented view towards the rural economy, while the present government is making progress by prioritising every aspect of the village," he said at the Golden Jubilee celebration of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which markets its products under the brand name Amul.

Modi referred to the benefits of kisan credit cards for livestock and fish breeders, seeds that can cope with the climate crisis, and the National Gokul Mission that aims to improve the dairy cattle species. He said the government was working to eradicate Foot and Mouth disease by 2030.

He spoke about the losses cattle farmers incur due to the disease and highlighted the government's free vaccination programme worth ₹15,000 crore. PM Modi said over 70 million vaccinations were carried out under the programme so far.

"With micro ATMs installed in villages, cattle-rearers don't have to go far to withdraw cash. We are also planning to give RuPay credit cards to cattle-rearers. As a pilot project, we have launched that scheme in Banaskantha and Panchmahal districts here," he said.

"Mahatma Gandhi used to say that India's soul rests in her villages. Therefore, in order to create Viksit Bharat (developed India), we must have a strong rural economy," he added.