Arun Jaitley stresses need for sustainability in agriculture

New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday asserted that the government was focusing on rural development to overcome the challenges in agricultural sector.

The minister said, "The government is trying to better the roads, irrigation system. Even in last three years, electricity has reached to every village and by the next year we hope it would reach to every home. Moreover, the government is also trying to make sure proper sanitization and availability of agricultural inputs in affordable price."

Jaitley was addressing the 40th International Forum of the Bankers and Financial Institutions from 21 Asia - Pacific Countries jointly organised by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and Asia - Pacific Rural and Agricultural Credit Association (APRACA).

The minister categorically stressed on the need for sustainability in agriculture and enhancing farmers' incomes, and specially for enhancing the availability of the agricultural produce in sustainable prices to ensure credit in large quantum and other means such as improving rural connectivity and irrigation levels. "Agricultural community in all over the world is very vulnerable," he added further.

The minister also called for efforts by banks and financial institutions from Asia - Pacific countries to explore newer ideas to bring equity to agriculture, improve incomes, enhance the purchasing power and quality of farmers' lives. He said, "Certainly, this is very important both India and other countries in all over the world. In one side, there is an effort of providing food in affordable price, and on the other side it is also very important to provide farmers their dues."

"India will achieve its ambitious vision of doubling of farmer's income by making inputs available to farmers at reasonable cost and working towards reducing the cost of cultivation," he avouched.

Dr Harsh Kumar Bhanwala, Chairman of NABARD, Shiba Raj Shrestha, Chairman of APRACA and Deputy Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank, H. R. Dave, Deputy Managing Director of NABARD, and Rajiv Kumar, Secretary of Finance Services, Ministry of Finance were also present in the occasion.