New Delhi [India], March 6 (ANI): The animal husbandry sector is a high-growth pillar of the rural economy and serves as a vital component of India's economic system, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday.

Addressing the third post-budget webinar, on the topic of 'Agriculture and Rural Transformation,' the Prime Minister said, 'The animal husbandry sector is a high-growth pillar of the rural economy. India is the world's largest milk producer. We are second in eggs production. To take us further, we will have to focus on breeding quality, disease prevention, and scientific management.'

PM Modi highlighted the health of animals as another important topic. 'India is now self-reliant in vaccine production. More than 125 crore doses have been given to animals to prevent foot and mouth diseases. Technology is being expanded under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission.'

The Prime Minister noted that farmers in the animal husbandry sector are now getting the benefit of the Kisan Credit Card. Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund has also been started to encourage private investment. 'We have implemented the GOBARdhan Yojna,' he said.

For PM Modi, agriculture remains a strategic pillar of the country's long-term development journey. He noted that the government has continuously strengthened the agricultural sector through various initiatives, including the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi.

'Agriculture is also a strategic pillar of India's long-term development journey. With this in mind, our government has continuously strengthened the agricultural sector. Approximately 10 crore farmers have received more than Rs 4 lakh crores from PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi. Farmers are now getting a return of up to 1.5 times that of MSP. Institutional credit coverage has increased by more than 75%,' Modi said.

The Prime Minister stated that the budget focuses on high-value agriculture and increasing productivity to enhance export trends. He highlighted that global demand is changing and the markets of the world are opening up.

'In this webinar, it is necessary to discuss as much as possible to make our agriculture export-oriented. We have a diverse climate. We have to take full advantage of it. We are very proud of the agro-climatic zone,' he said.

The Prime Minister pointed out that India's diverse climate and agro-climatic zones provide a significant advantage for producing high-value crops like coconut, cashew, sandalwood, and temperate nut crops in the Himalayan states.

'In the budget, we have focused on high-value agriculture. For example, coconut, cashew, coconut, and sandalwood. Talk about regional promotion of such products. Now you know that our southern states, especially Kerala and Tamil Nadu, produce a lot of coconut. But now all those crops have become so old that they are no longer capable. The farmers of Kerala and Tamil Nadu should have extra benefits. Therefore, a special emphasis has been placed on coconut this time. This will benefit our farmers in the coming days.'

The Prime Minister identified the fisheries sector as another major factor for increasing exports, noting that India is the second-largest fishery-producing country in the world. 'Today, there are about 4 lakh tonnes of fish produced in our various types of lakes and ponds. Whereas, there is a possibility of 20 lakh extra production. Now think about it, if we add 4 lakh tonnes to 20 lakh tonnes, how will the lives of our poor fishermen brothers and sisters change? The fisheries export growth can become a big platform,' he said.

The Prime Minister discussed the importance of technology and digital public infrastructure in modernising agriculture. He noted that almost 9 crore farmers now have a Farmers' ID and approximately 30 crore land parcels have been digitally surveyed.

He called for the integration of AI-based platforms to bridge the distance between research institutions and farmers. Additionally, he set a target for the Lakhpati Didi campaign, stating, 'We have succeeded in making Lakhpati Didi out of 3 crore women in the village. Now, by 2029, we have to add another 3 crore.' (ANI)