Gandhinagar, Nov 19 (IANS) At a state-level ceremony in Gandhinagar, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Agriculture Minister Jitu Vaghani distributed approval letters for agricultural assistance under various state schemes, alongside the latest instalment of the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi.
Farmers across Gujarat also watched the live telecast of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address, delivered from Coimbatore, where he released the 21st instalment of PM-Kisan amounting to ₹18,000 crore for more than 9 crore farmers across India. Of this, over 49.31 lakh farmers in Gujarat will receive ₹986 crore through Direct Benefit Transfer.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister Patel underscored the state government’s swift response to recent unseasonal and severe rainfall, which caused extensive crop damage. He said the ‘double-engine’ government announced a ₹10,000-crore relief package in record time to help affected farmers recover.
Patel highlighted that guided by the Prime Minister’s farmer-centric vision, more than 98 per cent of Gujarat’s farmers now receive daytime power, transforming the state’s agricultural landscape and boosting rural prosperity.
He also emphasised national initiatives promoting natural farming, increased green cover and climate resilience, calling natural farming “the agriculture of the future” for both soil health and human wellbeing.
The Chief Minister noted that from seed to market, the Prime Minister has consistently supported farmers, citing the implementation of the PM Dhan Dhanya Yojana and the success of Gujarat’s long-running Krishi Mahotsav model, which takes agricultural expertise directly to the farmer’s field.
Agriculture Minister Jitu Vaghani added that PM Modi has consistently prioritised farmer welfare — both as Gujarat Chief Minister and as Prime Minister — through initiatives such as MSP procurement, mechanisation support, nano-technology in farming, IT integration, and widespread promotion of natural and zero-budget agriculture. He said nearly one lakh metric tonnes of groundnut had already been delivered by farmers at 293 procurement centres, with purchases crossing ₹1,100 crore.
Earlier, Additional Chief Secretary (Agriculture) Anju Sharma said the government supports farmers across the entire value chain — from sowing to marketing — through improved seeds, fertiliser support, mechanisation schemes, natural farming initiatives and the newly-upgraded i-Khedut Portal 2.0.
During the programme, 15 beneficiary farmers received assistance under agriculture and horticulture schemes. The event was attended by Minister of State for Agriculture Ramesh Katara, Gandhinagar Mayor Meena Patel, district leaders and a large gathering of farmers.
–IANS
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