The Government of India’s top priority is to put the farmers’ concerns,importance of agriculture and rural development on a larger landscape, noted Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman, while speaking at the inauguration of the 6th World Congress on Rural and Agriculture Finance jointly organised by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and Asia – Pacific Rural Agricultural and Credit Association (APRACA).

The Finance Minister said that the Government is looking at acknowledging huge dependence on rural life,farmer importance and agriculture and further emphasised on the immediate need for taking up water management and water-related stress points. She also enumerated benefits of soil health cards provided to farmers. While talking about energy security, the Finance Minister said that there is a need for the farmers contributing in solar energy generation, participation in wind energy, installing solar panels in his farms, etc. and also to become an Urjadaata from Annadata.

*from various sources