15/05/2020
FINANCE MINISTER UPDATES FOR 15-05-2020
1. FM Live purchases worth more than Rs 74,300 crore through MSP during the lockdown, The minimum support price ( MSP ) is an agricultural product price set by the government of India to purchase directly from the farmer.
2. Govt has come up with a Rs 10,000 crore scheme for the formalisation of Micro food enterprises (MFEs)
3. Pradhan mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana to employ 55 lakh people, double India's exports to Rs 1 lakh crore – FM
4. Rs 20,000 crore package announced for 70 lakh tonnes of additional fish production in the next five years under Matsya Sampada Yojana
5. The finance minister said that the government will set up a Rs 10,000 crore micro fund to help branding and promotion of health foods produced across India. This will be a cluster-based approach in order to accommodate specialities of various states' produce, for example Kashmir can focus funds on Saffron, Telangana can empower turmeric farmers, while Bihar can focus on lotus seeds (Makhana). Around 2 lakh MSMEs are expected to benefit from the move. The finance minister also said that additional focus will be laid on promoting women, SCs and STs involved in cultivation of these items.
6. Govt ensures 100 percent vaccination for foot and mouth disease of animals to help milk related producers and animals. Govt to spend Rs 13343 crore for this.
7. An Animal Husbandry infrastructure development fund of Rs 15,000 crore will be set up
8. Rs 15,000 crore to be spent for dairy infrastructure by the government. Private investment also allowed in dairy infrastructure development fund.
9. Kashmir’s kesar, Bihar’s makhana, Karnataka’s ragi, Andhra’s chillies to be taken across the seven seas - FM
10.Promotion of herbal cultivation gets Rs 4,000 crore. 2.25 lakh hectare area under promotion of herbal plants to be increased to 10 lakh hectare in the next two years, giving Rs 5,000 crore more earnings to the related farmers. - FM Sitharaman
11.Government allocates Rs 500 crore for bee keeping, benefiting 2 lakh bee keepers in the rural areas. The move is likely to lift rural economy - FM Sitharaman
12.National Medicinal Plants Board will bring 800-hectare area by developing a corridor of medicinal plants along the banks of river Ganga: FM
13.Government to bring central law for farmers to make them able to sell their produce across the states in the country. Farmers can sell their produce at attractive prices by e-trading to even those who do not have licenses.
14.Central law for farmers to have a choice to sell the produce at an attractive price; no barriers in inter-state trade, which at the moment is restricted. Also, a framework for e-trading of agricultural produce
15.Rs 500 cr provision to repair broken supply chains. This scheme will have 50% subsidy on transportation from surplus to deficient markets; 50% subsidy on storage, including cold storages.
16.Right now, farmers are bound to sell agricultural products only to licensees in APMCs. Such restriction of sale is not there for any industrial produce. This restriction results in hindrance in the free flow of agricultural produce. It also results in less price realisation for farmers. - FM Sitharaman