Agriculture Scheme

Key schemes announced are:

• PM PRANAM (Prime Minister Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth)

• This programme will seek to incentivise states and union territories to promote alternative fertilisers and the balanced use of chemical fertilisers. 

• Bhartiya Prakritik Kheti Bio-Input Resource Centres

• Under this10,000 Bio-Input Resource Centres will be set up, creating a national-level distributed micro-fertiliser and pesticide manufacturing network. 
• This will impact over 1 crore farmers over the next three years.

• Agriculture Accelerator Fund
• The Fund will aim at bringing innovative and affordable solutions for challenges faced by farmers.
• It will also bring in modern technologies to transform agricultural practices, and increase productivity and profitability."

• Cotton crop productivity enhancement 

• Union government will adopt a cluster-based approach to enhance the cotton crop.
• To enhance the productivity of extra-long staple cotton, the government will adopt a cluster-based and value chain approach through Public Private Partnerships (PPP). 

• Centre of excellence for millets

• Indian Institute of Millet Research, Hyderabad will be made into a Centre for Excellence and it will be supported for sharing best practices, research and technologies at the international level. 

• Agriculture credit to be increased

• The agriculture credit target will be increased to Rs 20 lakh crore with a focus on animal husbandry, dairy, and fisheries. 

• GOBARdhan scheme

• Five-hundred new ‘waste to wealth’ plants under GOBARdhan (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan) scheme will be established for promoting a circular economy.

 

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Q1)What are Millets?

Millets are small-grained, annual, warm-weather cereals belonging to the grass family. They are rain-fed, hardy grains which have low requirements of water and fertility when compared to other popular cereals.

Source: Many key provisions for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare in the budget