Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the target of creating 10,000 farmer producer organisations (FPOs) has been achieved before the deadline, March 31, 2025, with the formation of an FPO in Khagaria district in Bihar. The announcement was made during an event in Bhagalpur, Bihar, where he released the 19th instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme of over ₹22,000 crore. The money got transferred to bank accounts of 9.8 crore farmers, including 2.41 crore women across the country.
Modi also took the opportunity to slam the Opposition RJD and Congress, accusing them of ushering in “jungle raj” (rule of jungle) while in power. He reminded the audience about “theft of fodder”. Bihar is going to face assembly poll later this year.
Spurt in exports
In his 40-minute speech, Modi said nearly ₹1.70 lakh crore has been directly paid to bank accounts of farmers since the launch of the PM-Kisan scheme in 2019. “Earlier, middlemen were taking away major chunk of the government benefits to small farmers, but the government has ensured it reaches them 100 per cent, ” he said.
Modi said the PM Fasal Bima Yojana has ensured payment of ₹1.75 lakh crore to farmers for the crop insurance claims whereas he alleged that earlier governments were leaving farmers in the lurch during distress. The PMFBY scheme was launched in 2016 as a new scheme by changing several provisions of the earlier weather-based crop insurance scheme.
He said a recent spurt in agriculture exports has led to farmers getting better prices for their produce. “Now is the time for Bihar’s makhana (foxnuts). It is a superfood that I, too, take on most days during the year. This is the reason why we announced setting up of a Makhana Board in the Budget,” he said.
Highlighting that Bihar is getting transformed in terms of higher facilities of food processing coming up there, he wished at least one Indian food item finds a place on the dining table of each person in the world. He also mentioned about the food processing institute getting set up there.
The event was attended by a host of dignitaries, including Union Ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Giriraj Singh, Chirag Paswan, Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.