Budget: Agriculture announcements by FM Nirmala Sitharaman amid farmer protests

• Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman set the agriculture credit target to ₹16.5 lakh crore in the Union Budget 2021. “Our government is committed to the welfare of farmers. The MSP regime has undergone a change to assure price that is at least 1.5 times the cost of production across all commodities,” said the finance minister. Sitharaman said the procurement of crops like paddy, wheat, pulses & cotton had witnessed a jump in the last six years. “The procurement has also continued to increase at a steady pace. This has resulted in increase in payment to farmers substantially,” Sitharaman added. This is the first budget after the Covid-19 pandemic and the ninth one under the Modi government. The Union Budget 2021 is also unique as it was the first paperless budget. Watch the full video for more.