The country farm industry has been functioning quite smoothly and it will continue to be that way and not be impacted by the pandemic situation caused in wake of COVID-19 said Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Wednesday.
Agriculture and allied sector growth stood at 3.7% during the pandemic.
The agriculture sector has managed to stood firm during such tough times when other sectors are severely impacted. There hasn’t been any shortage of food-grains, vegetables and dairy products. We are proud of our farmers and we thank them for standing head up at such tough times, Tomar added.
The impact of lockdown on the agriculture GDP is guessed not being much on hopes of good rains. Also the government has exempted farm activities from the lockdown rules, he said.
“Agriculture GDP was at 3.7% during last year. I am confident that the growth in future will not be impacted much“-Tomar added.
Same news was then shared by the Niti Aayog member Ramesh Chand who estimated the growth of farm sector to be 3% in the year 2020-21 despite the currently prevailing circumstances.
The forecast of good southwest monsoon, sufficient water levels in reservoirs, increase in kharif sown areas, rise in off-take of fertilizer and seeds, all these factors are in favour of farm sector growth, he said.
The agriculture sector is ready and all set to save the day for the Indian Economy during such terrible times, he added.
“If you look at growth rate of 3.7 per cent in current price level, then growth rate comes to 11.3 per cent, which is 60 per cent more than the growth rate of the non-agriculture sector,” the Niti Aayog member said.
Agriculture accounts for 15 per cent of India’s gross domestic and a source of livelihood for more than half of the country’s 1.3 billion population.