Patna (Bihar) [India], August 3 (ANI): Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday said that the welfare of farmers is a top priority of the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Addressing the gathering of farmers, officials and dignitaries in Patna, Agriculture Minister Chouhan said that with the help of the Direct Benefit Transfer scheme, the government is ensuring that the assistance reaches directly into the accounts of the farmers.

'Earlier, farmers used to get only a few pennies of Re 1 sent by the government, but now they receive the whole amount without any leakage,' the Agriculture Minister said here.

The Union Minister reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's resolve to make farming profitable. Over Rs. 3,77,000 crore has been transferred directly to the accounts of farmers under the PM-Kisan scheme so far. On this occasion, over Rs. 20,000 crore was deposited in the accounts of farmers, providing financial assistance to lakhs of farmer families across the country.

Chouhan emphasised efforts like Pradhan Mantri Dhan Dhanya Yojana to increase agricultural productivity per hectare, especially in low productivity areas. He highlighted the significant contribution of Makhana production in Bihar and the continuous efforts to connect agricultural science with the farms.

The Union Minister assured the timely and adequate availability of fertilisers and pesticides. He also informed about the efforts under various schemes to provide compensation in case of crop failure. He said that now the crops are procured at Minimum Support Price (MSP), to which 50 per cent profit is added on the production cost. This reflects the farmer-centric approach of the government.

Highlighting the measures for farmers' welfare, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chouhan said that with the help of DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer), the government is ensuring that the assistance reaches directly into the accounts of the farmers. He said, 'Earlier, farmers used to get only a few pennies of Rs. 1 sent by the government, but now they receive the whole amount without any leakage.' (ANI)