Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma on Thursday said that the state government has implemented several initiatives under the ‘Restart Meghalaya Mission’ to revive the agriculture sector that has been hard hit by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
The government has sanctioned funds to establish modern markets for the agricultural produce of the state and lowered interest rates to bail out the affected farmers.
Farmers will now be able to avail of Kisan Credit Card (KCC) loans at a low rate of 2 per cent.
“To suit the needs of a post-COVID world, many initiatives have been implemented in the State. From low-interest rates for Meghalaya’s farmers to funds being sanctioned for setting up modern markets in the region, #Meghalaya is reviving back after the pandemic,” Conrad Sangma tweeted on Thursday.
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The chief minister said the state has adopted the theme ‘localization, not globalization’ to become self-sufficient in the agriculture sector.
The state government aims to provide agriculture loans to 86,000 farmers under the KCC programme within a year.
4000 agri-entrepreneurs will also be provided with power tillers at 50 per cent subsidy.
The Meghalaya government had in August last year launched the ‘Restart Meghalaya Mission’ to revive the ailing economy of the state that had been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic.
‘Restart Meghalaya Mission’ includes developing the agriculture and its allied sectors, promoting well-being and livelihoods in a rural area, providing one-time grant support up to Rs. 10,000 for any new small business and loans up to Rs. 50,000 for small businesses and entrepreneurs under the Chief Minister’s Support programme.