New Delhi, March 6 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged farmers to leverage India's diverse climatic conditions and focus on scaling up the harvest of high-value crops to enable the country's agricultural products to effectively compete in global markets.
Addressing a post-budget webinar on 'Agriculture and Rural Transformation', Modi said steps need to be taken to promote all aspects of "quality, branding, and standards" of Indian agricultural produce. Agri experts, industry, and farmers will need to come together to achieve this goal, he said.
"Today, the markets of the world are opening, and global demand is changing... It is necessary to have more discussion on making our agriculture export-oriented. We have a diverse climate, and we must take full advantage of it. We are rich in agro-climatic zones," he said in his third post-budget webinar.
The Budget for 2026-27 has also focused on high-value agriculture, including cashew, cocoa, sandalwood, Modi said, adding that the National Mission on Edible Oil and Pulses and the National Mission on Natural Farming are all strengthening the agricultural sector.
"If we scale up the high-value agri sector, only then we can convert our agriculture sector into a globally-competitive sector," Modi said.
The prime minister said that today the world is becoming more conscious about health, with a strong focus on holistic healthcare and organic food.
"We must place greater emphasis on chemical-free and natural farming. Natural farming creates a highway to reach markets across the world," he said.
Emphasizing that agriculture is also a strategic pillar of India's long-term development journey, he said that the government has continuously strengthened the agricultural sector.
"Nearly 10 crore farmers have received more than Rs 4 lakh crore through the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi. This year's Union Budget gives a strong push to agriculture and rural transformation," Modi added.
