Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said that India did not allow import of farm products from the US, as the interest and welfare of our country’s farmers and farming sector is paramount.
Addressing the convocation ceremony of the ‘Indian Institute of Science, Education, and Research’ (IISER), Chouhan asserted that today’s Bharat is full of confidence and does not fear anyone when it comes to safeguarding the interests of its own people.
He urged the graduating researchers to invent a device to check the quality of pesticides and fertilizers for the farmers. “Testing facility at the farmers’ end is needed to check the quality of pesticides and fertilizers used in farming”, Chouhan maintained.
The Union minister pointed out that after becoming the agriculture minister, he came to learn that nearly 30,000 products were being sold in India, on the claim of being bio-stimulants that boosted farm produce.
He said he ordered testing of all such products. “Only 642 products were found to be effective. Almost 24000 thousand such samples were never sent for testing by the respective companies, and they ran away,” Chouhan stated.
Speaking about ‘Operation Sindoor’, Chouhan claimed that all the terrorists who carried out the Pahalgam attack have been eliminated.
He assertively ruled out that either the US or any other foreign power brokered the ceasefire between India and Pakistan. “When we precisely hit and destroyed their (Pakistan’s) air bases, they feared that now we would reach their nuclear bases too. So, they knelt down and came with folded hands for peace,” Chouhan averred.
He said that today’s Bharat does not attack anyone, but also does not spare terrorists or those who attack us.
Elaborating on the country not allowing import of USA’s farm products, Chouhan said, “Bharat decided in national interest first. No agreement will be against the country’s interest. We won’t compromise with the interest of farmers, fishermen and people of other farming sectors”.
He lauded the various farmer welfare schemes being implemented in the country. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed to 144 crore people of the country to buy indigenous goods for their daily use.
“This will generate employment for our people. Strengthen our economy”, he said, while slamming the mentality of praising imported items.