Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the youth of Jammu and Kashmir for their immense strength while highlighting the newly introduced train services from the Valley that significantly boost regional trade. This statement came during an interaction with farmers in New Delhi as part of the launch of the PM Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana, a ₹24,000 crore initiative aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity across 100 selected districts.
During the event, farmers like Fayaz Ahmad Ganaie from Ganderbal district shared inspiring success stories. Ganaie attributed his impressive annual profits of ₹15 lakh and his workforce of 14 employees to the support of the Modi government’s initiatives for farmers.
In response, Modi asserted, “The youth of Jammu and Kashmir have immense strength. Now with the train services, goods have been moving fast from the Kashmir valley.”
Goods train services started operating directly from New Delhi to Kashmir, allowing the transportation of vehicles, apples, and other fruits to prosper, enabling seamless movement for the first time.
The Prime Minister encouraged all farmers to transition towards natural farming, advising them to start small experiments with various crops to self-evaluate the positive outcomes. Many farmers shared their innovative practices adopted following previous engagements with Modi.
A woman farmer praised the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, calling the annual support of ₹6,000 “a blessing” that assisted her in timely seed purchases and field preparations. Noteworthy innovations presented included aeroponically cultivated “Jain potato” and garlic products like paste and powder.
Highlighting the agricultural success stories of India, Modi revealed that the nation achieved remarkable milestones over the previous decade, such as:
- Agricultural exports nearly doubling
- A food grain output increase of 90 million metric tonnes
- A fruit and vegetable production boost of 64 million metric tonnes
- India ranking first in milk production and second in global fish production
- Honey production doubling since 2014
Additionally, Modi announced the establishment of over 10,000 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) aimed at fostering cooperation among farmers and improving their market access.
Modi explained that the PM Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana draws inspiration from the successful Aspirational Districts Model, emphasizing government objectives of empowering every farmer through technological innovation and inclusive growth.
