Modernisation in the agriculture sector is the need of the hour as already a lot of time has been lost, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.
In his monthly Mann Ki Baat radio address, Modi also hailed the world’s largest vaccination programme being carried out in India against the COVID-19 and stressed on “dawai bhi, kadai bhi” (medicines as well as strict preventive measures).
He hailed the ‘taali-thaali’ campaign and lighting of diyas last year, saying it had touched the hearts of ‘corona warriors’.
“That is the very reason they resolutely held on the whole year, without tiring, without halting. Steadfastly, they endured to save the life of each and every citizen of the country,” Modi said.
Asserting that adopting modern practices in the agriculture sector is imperative, he said in every aspect of life, newness and modernisation are essential.
“In India’s agriculture sector, modernisation is the need of the hour. It has been delayed and we have already lost a lot of time,” the prime minister said in his 75th episode of Mann Ki Baat.
“To create new employment opportunities in agriculture, to increase farmers’ income, it is equally important to adopt new alternatives and innovations along with traditional agricultural practices,” he said.
The country has witnessed this during the white revolution and bee farming is also emerging as one such alternative, he said.
The prime minister’s call for embracing modern practices in agriculture comes at a time when hundreds of farmers have been camping at Delhi’s border points at Ghazipur, Singhu and Tikri since November last year demanding that the Centre repeal the three contentious farm laws.
The government has maintained that these reform laws will boost farmers’ income by bringing investment, modern practices and allow them to sell their produce anywhere across the country at the best prices.
Noting that bee farming is becoming the foundation of a honey revolution or sweet revolution in the country, Modi said farmers in large numbers are associating with it.