Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday interacted with the farmers of Angul district through videoconferencing on use of modern methods in cultivation.
The PM talked to farmers as a part of his interaction with farmers across the country. During talks, a farmer of Durgapur, Benudhar Pradhan, apprised the PM of the success achieved by him through modern agricultural practices and integrated farming.
“My father had five acres of land. He used to adopt traditional methods in farming and, hence, he was always leaving three acres uncultivated. But after I got training in the Agricultural Science Centre, I am now integrating farming with pisciculture in my pond, vegetable farming, paddy cultivation, dairy farming, poultry farming and ornamental fish rearing,” Benudhar told the Prime Minister.
Benudhar further apprised that he is earning Rs4 lakh to Rs5 lakh per annum while his father’s income was merely Rs40,000-50,000 per year.
The Prime Minister also interacted with Binapani Rout of Kusasinga village in the district who opted modern farming methods after her husband became physically-challenged following an accident.
Terming Rout as a source of inspiration for other women, the Prime Minister expressed happiness over that fact that she now owns a multiurpose cooperative society having 151 women as members. The cooperative society receives agricultural output from local farmers and markets the produce.
“I congratulate farmers of Odisha for accepting modernisation and setting examples of farming progress in the country,” said Modi.