112 agri-startups to receive funds to tune of Rs 11.89 crore: Union Minister for Agriculture

New Delhi: Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Narendra Singh Tomar on Friday said for the year 2020-21, in the first phase, 112 startups in the area of agro processing, food technology and value addition will be funded for a sum of Rs 1185.90 lakhs which will contribute to enhancing the income of farmers.

The Union Government accords very high priority to the agriculture sector. In order to contribute directly and indirectly to enhancing the income of farmers by providing opportunities to them and to provide employment to youth, start-ups are being encouraged.

Tomar stated that as emphasised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, new technology in the field
of agriculture and allied sectors through start-ups and agripreneurship should be promoted.

Therefore, under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, the innovation and agripreneurship component has been promoted. ‘For the year 2020-21, in the first phase, 112 startups in the area of agro processing, food technology and value addition will be funded for a sum of Rs 1185.90 lakhs which will contribute to enhancing the income of farmers. This fund will be released in instalments’.

Tomar stated that earlier in the month while reviewing the progress of agriculture research, extension and education in India, the Prime Minister had said that start-ups and agri-enterpreneurs need to be promoted to ensure innovation and use of technology in agriculture and allied sectors. He had highlighted the need to leverage information technology to provide information on demand to the
farmers.

The Prime Minister exhorted that traditional knowledge of Indian communities should be coupled with technology and skill sets of youth and agriculture graduates to translate the full potential of Indian agriculture in transforming rural areas. He also directed that hackathons may be organized twice a year to solve identified problems and meet design needs for tools and equipment that can reduce drudgery in farming activity.