Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday asserted that steps taken by the government in the farm sector have led to doubling of income of several farmers.
Replying to supplementaries in the Lok Sabha, Chouhan said the central government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has made record purchases of farm produce at minimum support prices, made fertilisers available at subsidised rates, and settled insurance claims worth ₹1.83 lakh crore.
"I can say with full confidence that the income of several farmers has more than doubled," Chouhan said in response to Congress leader Manickam Tagore’s question on the prime minister’s assurance of doubling farmers’ income by 2022.
The Agriculture Minister slammed the previous UPA government for rejecting a proposal to implement the Swaminathan Commission recommendations to fix minimum support price of farm product after adding 50% profit to the cost of production incurred by farmers.
"The Modi government accepted the Swaminathan Commission recommendations and MSP for farm produce is now fixed after adding 50% profit to the cost of production incurred by farmers," Chouhan said.
The minister said the previous UPA government had claimed that implementing the Swaminathan Commission recommendations would distort markets.
