Shri Tomar inaugurates the setting up of “Agriculture Investment Portal”

OV Digital Desk
4 Min Read
Agriculture Investment Portal

Ms. Melinda French Gates, Co-Chairperson of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, met today with Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. At the meeting, Shri Tomar inaugurated an integrated “Agriculture Investment Portal” created by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Shri Tomar stated during the meeting that the government under Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is committed to promoting women farmers in the country.

According to Shri Tomar, there are many challenges in the agriculture sector, which the Government of India is continuously working to address under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Modi. According to him, there are a greater number of small farmers in the country, and the government believes that if their numbers increase, then the agriculture sector will improve and production will also increase. In this regard, the government is actively working. Shri Tomar said that traditional farming methods used to run in the agriculture sector in India, now in the current perspective there is a need for investment in the agriculture sector, in view of which the government has initiated many reforms, incorporated technology in agriculture and to ensure the eligible farmers are provided aid with transparency, the Digital Agriculture Mission has also been started in the country. As part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, Shri Tomar informed the audience that the Government of India has allocated a special package of over Rs 1.5 lakh crore for agriculture and allied sectors. The work on these provisions, including the Rs. 1 lakh crore Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, has already begun. In the event that these measures are implemented, the Indian agriculture sector will be rejuvenated.

Adoption of Smart Farming

According to Shri Tomar, a large number of women work in the agriculture sector in India. The Union Ministry of Rural Development is also running a scheme for the empowerment of women farmers, in which the Ministry of Agriculture is a partner. Additionally, the Ministry of Agriculture allocates a portion of its budget for the empowerment of women farmers. Shri Tomar said that the “Krishi Nivesh Portal” (Agriculture Investment Portal) will prove to be a milestone in terms of investment in the agriculture sector, which will be a centralized one stop portal for agri-investors to avail benefits of various government schemes implemented by various departments related to agriculture and allied sectors. This portal will prove to be very useful to investors, they will receive a great deal of assistance from it. Having appreciated the work being done by the Gates Foundation in a variety of fields in India, Shri Tomar hoped that the Foundation’s involvement in the agriculture sector in India would prove to be a valuable experience.

Melinda Gates indicated that she would be delighted to work with the Ministry of Agriculture. In her opinion, women farmers should be involved to the maximum extent possible. According to her, the Foundation works in many countries and has a great deal of experience in India. In her remarks, Ms. Gates expressed her happiness over India being elected to preside over the G-20 and expressed the desire to always work together.

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