Agri Sector Growth Stronger, Steadier Than UPA’s Volatile Yrs

New Delhi: In a sharp riposte to the Congress Party’s criticism over the performance of the agriculture sector, the BJP has in its factsheet highlighted that the growth rate in recent years is much stronger and steadier, backed by the government’s higher budgetary support, than during 2004 to 2014 when the UPA was in power.

“The UPA regime from 2004 to 2014 was the epitome of volatility for Indian agriculture. The growth of Agriculture and allied sectors GDP stood at 5.1 per cent in 2005-06, but the sector declined by 0.1 per cent in 2008-09, highlighting how the Congress miserably failed in its agricultural ventures,” the factsheet said.

“Any claims of agricultural stagnation under the NDA are outrightly false, as India’s agriculture sector has exhibited strong growth in recent years, with an average annual increase of 5 per cent from FY17 to FY23. Further in the first and second quarters of 2024-25, the agriculture sector recorded growth rates of 2 per cent and 3.5 per cent, indicating a strong growth in the sector,” it further states.

The factsheet highlights that the financial situation of farmers is on an upward trajectory, with an annual increase of 5.23 per cent in agricultural income over the past decade. Despite a one-off fall in employment rate during the pandemic, the NDA Government spearheaded a strong recovery, with the unemployment rate now falling to 3.2 per cent, far below the pre-pandemic levels of 6 per cent even.

It also states that while Congress betrayed farmers, the NDA is ensuring that MSP is 1.5 times the average cost of production regularly.

The landmark PM KISAN scheme, just one of the various measures, has benefited 11 crore annadatas between 2019 and 2024, with over Rs3.45 lakh crore in disbursements done through DBT (direct benefit transfer). Farmers’ purchasing capacity has jumped significantly over the past decade. In 2013-14, the total agricultural credit in India stood at just Rs7.3 lakh crore. In less than a decade, this has more than tripled to Rs25.48 lakh crore in 2023-24, the factsheet added.

It further states that the Kisan Credit Card scheme has been made more expansive by the NDA, as the benefits have also been extended to farmers in the Animal Husbandry and Fisheries sectors in 2018-19, something not previously there under the UPA.