NewzVille Desk
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurated the ‘Agri-Industry Conclave’ in Narsinghpur, Madhya Pradesh today. Mangubhai C. Patel, Governor of Madhya Pradesh, Mohan Yadav, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of Panchayat & Rural Development, Govt. of Madhya Pradesh were also present on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering VP Dhankhar said, “There will be a real uplift in farmers’ income when every form of assistance reaches them directly. In the United States, the income of a farmer’s family is higher than that of an average household. One key reason for this is that farmers receive direct government support. In our country, there is a large subsidy on fertilizers, and many other significant subsidies too — but these are indirect. If all of these are given directly to farmers, my estimate is that each farmer would receive at least ₹35,000 annually. I believe that the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) will take note of this and release a comprehensive paper so that farmers can benefit to the fullest… The government is supporting farmers in every possible way — the PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi is directly deposited in farmers’ accounts. Now, it’s important that all other aids also be deposited directly into their accounts, because this would be immensely beneficial.”
“I want to proclaim from my heart today for everyone — agriculture is not just an economic sector. It has deep ties with industry, and the Hon’ble Chief Minister has taken this initiative. Half of our population is dependent on agriculture,” he said.
Highlighting the economic progress of the last decade, Dhankhar said, “In the past decade, India has made a significant economic leap. We were in a very weak position globally. But there is great news — today, India has become the fourth-largest economy in the world. Whom have we surpassed? We’ve overtaken France, England, and Japan. Who’s next? Germany — and very soon, India will become the third-largest global superpower. You can see how infrastructure is rapidly expanding across the country.”
He further said, “Farmers must emerge as entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector. Our farmers must define what entrepreneurship means. I call them ‘agripreneurs’ — we need millions of agripreneurs in the country who will take the lead in marketing agricultural products, adding value to agri-produce, and leading in dairy, vegetable, and fruit production. It is heartening to see that society is now standing with the farmer. There are 730 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (Agricultural Science Centers) in the country and many institutions under ICAR — all of which are now alert and active.”
“I am pleased to say that the direction I highlighted in Mumbai is now becoming a ground reality… Industries that use agricultural produce and run factories — it would be excellent if such agro-based industries, Members of Parliament, MLAs, and prominent NGOs adopt villages and commit to transforming them. Promote agri-entrepreneurs, agripreneurs, and farmer-entrepreneurs within those villages. This will also benefit them, as the foundation of their economic prosperity lies with the farmer. So the farmer’s participation is natural and necessary,” he said.
