New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said modernisation in the field of Indian agriculture is the need of the hour.
Addressing the 75th edition of his monthly radio broadcast – ‘Mann Ki Baat’- the Prime Minister said, ‘Novelty, modernization is essential in all fields of life, otherwise it becomes a burden at times. Modernization in the field of Indian agriculture is the need of the hour. It is already late. We have already lost a lot of time.’
He said adopting new alternatives, new innovations, along with traditional farming, are equally important to create new opportunities for employment in the agriculture sector; to increase the income of farmers.
The Prime Minister added that the country has experienced it during the white revolution.
Mentioning about bee farming, Modi said now bee farming is emerging as a similar alternative.
He said bee farming is becoming the foundation of a honey revolution or sweet revolution in the country.
‘Farmers, in large numbers, of farmers are associating with it; innovating,’ the Prime Minister said.
‘Just as a village Gurdum in Darjeeling, West Bengal. There are steep mountains, geographical problems, and yet, people here started the work of honey bee farming, and today, there is a sizeable demand for honey harvested at this place.This is also increasing the income of farmers,’ he said.
‘The natural organic honey of the Sunderbans areas of West Bengal is in great demand in our country and the world. I also have had one such personal experience in Gujarat,’ the Prime Minister said.
‘An event was organized in the year 2016 in Banaskantha, Gujarat. In that programme, I had told the people that there were so many possibilities here… why not Banaskantha and the farmers here write a new chapter of the sweet revolution? You will be happy to know that in such a short time, Banaskantha has become a major centre for honey production. Today, farmers of Banaskantha are earning lakhs of rupees annually through honey,’ Modi said.
He said there is a similar example too from Yamuna Nagar, Haryana.
Modi said in Yamuna Nagar, farmers are producing several hundred tons of honey annually, enhancing their income by doing bee farming. The result of this hard work of the farmers is that the production of honey in the country is continuously increasing, and annually, nearly 1.25 lakh tons is produced, and out of this produce a large quantity of honey is also being exported to foreign countries.
