Supporting farm growth

Budget has enabling proposals

The agricultural package mooted in the Union Budget for 2023-24 seems to aim primarily at ramping up programmes and institutions that can potentially serve as growth agents for this sector. The objective is to raise farm production and, more so, farmers’ income to rein in the discontent in rural areas. But whether the resources allocated for these activities are adequate is open to question, considering that the budget for this sector has been stepped up only marginally and includes the sum paid to farmers (Rs 6,000 annually in three instalments) under the PM-Kisan Samman scheme. Also, while emphasis has rightly