New Delhi, Oct 11: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched two new schemes -- PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana and pulse self-reliance mission -- for improving self-reliance and welfare of farmers in the country.

Addressing the special Krishi programme in the national Capital, PM Modi said that the schemes “will change the fate of Indian farmers”.

“Today, on this historic day, for the country's self-reliance, for the welfare of farmers, two important schemes are being launched. First, the PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana, and second the Pulse Self-Reliance Mission. These two schemes are for the self-reliance of the country, and will change the fate of millions of farmers in India,” PM Modi said.

“Agriculture and farming have always been a part of our development journey. It is very important that the government continues to support agriculture and farming in keeping with the changing times,” PM Modi added, noting that previous governments left agriculture and farming sectors to fend for themselves, thus “continuously weakening” them.

“For India in the 21st Century to achieve rapid development, it was necessary to reform its agricultural system as well, and this began after 2014. For the past 11 years, the government's continuous effort has been to empower farmers and increase investment in agriculture,” the Prime Minister said.

“We have undertaken reforms... from seeds to the market, in the interest of farmers,” he added.

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He announced that for the PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana, 100 districts were selected based on three parameters: The amount of yield from the field, the number of times farming takes place in one field, and the facility for farmers to take loans or invest.

“In this scheme, we are integrating 36 government schemes,” PM said.

Further, the Prime Minister stated that the Dalhan Aatmnirbharta Mission “is not just a mission to increase pulse production but also a campaign to empower our future generations". The mission was launched with an outlay of Rs. 11,440 crore.

“While wheat and rice can satiate hunger, more nutrition is important, especially for people taking a vegetarian diet,” the PM said.

Stressing the importance of a protein-rich diet for a healthy body and mind, he called for more planning to develop pulses – a major source of protein for vegetarians.

(IANS)

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