Giving the mantra of natural farming with technology to farmers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here on Monday that the need of the hour is to adopt technology-based agriculture with modern techniques. He laid the same emphasis on increasing self-reliance in the field of natural farming and fertilisers.

The Prime Minister was speaking after inaugurating a two-day PM Kisan Sammelan at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa.

On the occasion, he gave a new slogan of Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan and Jai Anusandhan. Giving the gift of Samman Nidhi to the farmers on the occasion of Deepawali, he transferred a total of Rs 16,000 crores to the accounts of eight crore farmers in the form of a 12th installment at the rate of two Rs 2,00 per account.

The PM released the Bharat brand under One Nation One Fertiliser on the occasion. He also started to convert three lakh retail fertiliser sales centres into PM Samridhi Kendras with 600 centres. It will solve the problems of farmers related to soil, seeds, agricultural implements and fertilisers.

Addressing the conference, Modi said till now, the farmers have got two lakh crore rupees. It is the need of the hour the annadata (farmer) should save his time and energy with state-of-the-art farming, increase production, and at the same time understand the importance of natural farming because. It will be helpful in dealing with the challenges of the future.

The Prime Minister said to achieve self-reliance in the agriculture sector, the technology based on more advanced and scientific methods has to be adopted with an open mind. For this, new farming systems have to be created.

The Central government, he said was reducing the discrepancies and distance between the farmer and the market by using modern techniques to make the farmers the basis of the economic condition of the country. Kisan Rail and Kisan Viman are living examples of this. Small farmers are benefiting the most from this. They are getting opportunities to sell their products to the country and abroad.

The Prime Minister pointed out that the year 2023 is being celebrated as the United Nations World Market Year with the government’s efforts to encourage India’s coarse grains in the world, with the increase in the production of millet. To increase the quality of India’s millet seeds all over the world, many hubs are being built for it in the country.

The PM said that there is a need for fertiliser farming. For this, the country depends on imports, for self-reliance in the field of fertilisers, the Centre has started the six largest urea factories in the country. Nano food is being promoted. To prevent its black marketing, neem coating is being done on it. Now government fertilizers will be sold all over the country under the name the brand name Bharat.

The Prime Minister said today is a golden day when technology (Startup) and Annadata are on one platform. He said that the government has to spend 2.5 lakh crore rupees every year on the import of fertilizers, he said that everyone will have to resolve together that the country will be made self-reliant in this direction too. On this occasion, PM also inaugurated the e-magazine Indian Age and Agri Startup Conclave and an exhibition.