Union Budget 2022 | Farmers’ unions allege ‘attitude of revenge’

No mention of steps to ‘double farm incomes’ in Budget

Agriculture and allied activities, which still employ the largest bulk of the population, saw a marginal 2% increase in Budget allocations for 2022-23. The sector’s share in the overall Budget allocations fell from 4.26% in 2021-22 to 3.84%.

announced high levels of payment for procurement of rice and paddy at the minimum support price (MSP), and her speech’s focus was on agricultural technology and start-ups that enthused the nascent industry. However, farmers’ groups expressed unhappiness at the lack of support for procurement of produce other than rice and paddy and a reduction in fertilizer subsidies. The Centre’s target of doubling farmers’ income by 2022, a standard motto of recent Budget speeches, found no mention this time.

One of the few schemes that saw a clear increase in allocations is the Blue Revolution initiative to augment fisheries infrastructure, aquaculture and seafood processing. The Fisheries Department saw its budget almost double from ₹1,220 crore in 2021-22 to ₹2,118 crore.