Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar stated that farmers are receiving more money directly into their accounts through the Direct Benefit Transfer scheme. This is the result of the scheme. As a result of the use of technology, he said, middlemen have been eliminated, transparency has been created, and farmers have benefited from it. He said expenditure on the Minimum Support Price has increased manifold in recent years which directly benefited farmers.
According to Mr. Tomar, the Indian government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken measures to ensure food availability. It has also developed robust mechanisms for procuring food grains, and ensured the implementation of the One Nation One Ration card initiative in the country. Approximately 3 lakh 81 thousand crore rupees have reached the accounts of farmers through the Direct Benefit Transfer program.
According to him, 80 crore people have received free food grains as a result of the Covid pandemic. It is estimated that three lakh 90 thousand crore rupees have been spent on the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana. On MSP’s expenditure, Mr. Tomar said, one lakh six thousand crore rupees were spent in 2014-15 which subsequently increased to two lakh 75 thousand crore rupees in 2021-22.
In the season 2021-22, more than one lakh 14 thousand crore rupees in sugarcane farmer dues have been cleared out of the total dues of more than one lakh 18 thousand crore rupees. He stated that India had become the largest producer and exporter of sugar. He said that sugar exports have increased in recent years. He said the total export was 6.8 lakh metric tonnes in 2017-18 which reached 110 lakh metric tonnes in 2021-22. On the procurement of millets, Mr. Tomar explained, seven states have procured 13 lakh tonnes.