Modi Puts Farmers at Centre of Gujarat Visit, Defends Subsidies Amid Fertiliser Shortage Controversy

BANASKANTHA, October 30: Agriculture, rural prosperity and political confrontation dominated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s engagements in Gujarat on Friday.

The PM used a major public gathering in Banaskantha to showcase his government’s record on farmer welfare and challenge the opposition’s criticism over concerns surrounding fertiliser availability.

The visit saw the launch of development initiatives exceeding Rs 14,000 crore, the inauguration of a specialised livestock research facility and the release of the 24th payment under the PM-KISAN scheme.

Modi presented these measures as part of a broader effort to increase agricultural productivity, strengthen rural industries, and create additional income sources for farming households.

A major part of his address was devoted to the international price shock triggered by continuing instability in West Asia.

The Prime Minister maintained that Indian cultivators had been insulated from the full impact of the crisis because the government had continued to provide fertilisers at heavily subsidised rates.

To illustrate the extent of the assistance, he compared domestic prices with international market rates.

A bag of urea, he said, costs approximately Rs 3,000 internationally but is available to Indian farmers for less than Rs 300.

DAP, which commands around Rs 5,000 per bag in the global market, continues to be supplied to farmers at Rs 1,350.

Modi alleged that opposition parties had used concerns about fertiliser and cooking gas supplies to create unnecessary apprehension among people.

He accused his political adversaries of wanting to portray India as a country in distress rather than acknowledge its development.

He said the government had deliberately absorbed the higher cost of fertiliser imports and subsidies instead of allowing the increase to affect farmers’ finances.

Direct financial assistance and agricultural earnings

The Prime Minister used the occasion to underline the financial support extended to cultivators through different government programmes.

He claimed that the combined benefits and savings generated for farmers over recent years had crossed Rs 50 lakh crore.

Under PM-KISAN alone, he said, approximately Rs 4.5 lakh crore had reached the bank accounts of small farmers through direct transfers.

The release of the latest instalment was another step in continuing this financial assistance.

He also argued that agricultural prosperity could not depend exclusively on the cultivation of traditional crops.

According to him, beekeeping, livestock rearing, fisheries and food processing were opening up opportunities for rural families to supplement their earnings.

The growth of honey production was cited as one example.

Modi said output had doubled over the past 12 years, attributing the expansion to initiatives promoting beekeeping. He referred to a woman entrepreneur whose honey business generates sales of around Rs 35 lakh.

Banaskantha’s changing agricultural economy

The Prime Minister devoted considerable attention to Banaskantha, where farming and allied industries have become important contributors to the local economy.

He argued that the district’s agricultural strength was increasingly being reflected in the development of processing industries.

The region’s potato growers, in particular, stood to benefit from the expansion of food manufacturing facilities.

Referring to a newly established French fries plant, Modi said such investments could give farmers a stronger commercial market for their produce.

Instead of depending entirely on conventional wholesale channels, cultivators could benefit from the growing demand for processed agricultural products.

He also referred to crop-based clusters being developed around potatoes, tomatoes, chillies, pomegranates and cocoa. These initiatives, he said, were intended to connect cultivation with organised processing and marketing networks.

Taking a political swipe at an earlier remark about turning potatoes into gold, the Prime Minister said farmers in Banaskantha had long understood the value of transforming agricultural production into economic prosperity.

Dairy and livestock emerge as additional growth engines

The dairy economy was another prominent theme of the address. Modi said better animal healthcare, breeding facilities, and scientific livestock management were helping improve productivity.

He cited the large-scale vaccination campaign against diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease, claiming that more than 150 crore doses had been administered and over eight crore farmers covered.

He also urged farmers to look beyond milk sales and explore the commercial potential of cattle waste. Biogas and bio-CNG production, he said, could turn an agricultural by-product into another dependable source of rural income.

To illustrate the growing role of women in the dairy sector, Modi recounted meeting a woman who sells milk worth approximately Rs 2 crore despite having received formal education only up to Class 4.

He said the long-term objective should be to achieve substantially higher milk yields through improved cattle breeds, eventually enabling one productive animal to provide the quantity of milk presently obtained from four cows.

The Prime Minister acknowledged the contribution of Banas Dairy in developing the regional dairy network and referred to its role in strengthening breeding infrastructure.

A major addition to this effort was the Bharat Bovine Breeding and Research Centre at Bhildi. Spread across 127 acres, the facility has been established as a Centre of Excellence for the indigenous Kankrej breed.

It is expected to support scientific breeding, livestock improvement and the conservation of native cattle resources.

Solar pumps and scientific farming highlighted

Modi also presented renewable energy as an important component of agricultural reform. He said the distribution of 12 lakh solar-powered irrigation pumps had helped farmers reduce their reliance on diesel.

According to his estimate, the installations had prevented the consumption of around 80 crore litres of diesel. Farmers could also earn additional money by supplying surplus electricity generated through these systems.

On soil management, he referred to the distribution of more than 26 crore Soil Health Cards and the introduction of nearly 3,000 improved seed varieties.

These measures, he said, were intended to help cultivators make better decisions about soil nutrients and prepare for the effects of changing weather patterns.

He maintained that agricultural development required a closer partnership between traditional farming knowledge and modern scientific research, including improvements in crop cultivation and animal husbandry.

Government cites MSP procurement and crop insurance benefits

The Prime Minister also sought to draw a contrast between the agricultural policies of his government and those of previous administrations.

He alleged that earlier governments had failed to deliver adequately on their commitments regarding the Minimum Support Price.

In contrast, he claimed that wheat and paddy farmers had received approximately Rs 24 lakh crore through MSP-related payments during the past 12 years.

On risk protection, he said compensation exceeding Rs 2 lakh crore had been paid to farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana over the last 10 to 12 years.

These figures, he argued, demonstrated the scale of the government’s financial intervention in the agricultural sector.

Modi reflects on his political journey in Gujarat

Beyond agricultural announcements, the Prime Minister also revisited his personal association with Gujarat, where he first took the oath as Chief Minister in October 2001.

With 25 years of public life in Gujarat and at the national level approaching completion, Modi expressed gratitude to the people of the state for their support.

He recalled entering the administration without much familiarity with government files or official procedures, saying his understanding of governance developed through his association with the people.

He credited Gujarat’s residents with shaping his approach to issues such as water conservation, electricity management and development.

Recalling his early efforts to persuade people to use water and power carefully, he said those subjects had gradually become widely accepted.

He also praised Banaskantha’s agricultural achievements, saying the district had developed a strong reputation for its produce and farming-based enterprises.

Modi said his commitment to public service would remain with him throughout his life.

National Unity Day programme to move to evening

The Prime Minister also announced a change in the timing of the annual National Unity Day celebrations held on October 31 in memory of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

The Ekta Parv, traditionally organised in the morning, will now be conducted in the evening. Modi said the revised schedule would evoke the atmosphere of the Republic Day parade.

He was scheduled to attend the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas programmes on Saturday, marking Patel’s 151st birth anniversary.

The Gujarat visit, combining political messaging with a series of agricultural and infrastructure announcements, thus provided the Prime Minister an opportunity to defend his government’s economic policies while projecting farming, dairy production and rural enterprise as important pillars of India’s development.