Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated the creation of an integrated "Agriculture Investment Portal" by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in New Delhi during a meeting with Melinda French Gates, the Co-Chairperson of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Narendra Singh Tomar highlighted that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government has full focus on promoting women farmers in the country. To increase their number and for their continuous progress, the Union Ministry of Rural Development is also running a scheme for the empowerment of women farmers, with which the Ministry of Agriculture is partnering. At the same time, the Ministry of Agriculture spends a certain part of its budget on the upliftment of women farmers. 

In the meeting, Tomar said that there are many challenges in the agriculture sector, to solve which the Government of India is continuously working efficiently under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. He said that the number of small farmers is more in the country, and the government believes that if their strength increases, then the agriculture sector will improve and production will also increase, the government is working in this direction.

Tomar said that traditional farming methods used to run in the agriculture sector in India, now in the current perspective there is a need for investment in the agriculture sector, in view of which the government has initiated many reforms, incorporated technology in agriculture and to ensure the eligible farmers are provided aid with transparency, the Digital Agriculture Mission has also been started in the country.

The Union Agricultural Minister told that with the aim of further increasing investment in agriculture, the Government of India has allocated a special package of over Rs 1.5 lakh crores for agriculture and allied sectors under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. Work on these provisions has started, including the Rs. 1 lakh crores Agriculture Infrastructure Fund. Once these are implemented, the Indian agriculture sector will be rejuvenated.

Speaking about the portal, he said that the "Krishi Nivesh Portal" (Agriculture Investment Portal) will prove to be a milestone in terms of investment in the agriculture sector, which will be a centralized one-stop portal for agri-investors to avail benefits of various government schemes implemented by various departments related to agriculture and allied sectors. He said that this portal would prove to be handy for the investors, they would get a lot of help from it.

Appreciating the work being done by the Gates Foundation in various fields in India, Tomar hoped that working in the agriculture sector in India by the Foundation would prove to be a good experience.

Image source: PIB