Agartala, Nov 17 (PTI) Asserting that the Centre is working on reducing farming cost and increasing growers' income, Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Wednesday said new Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) of marginalised cultivators will change the agriculture scenario in the country.

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More than 11 crore farmers have so far received a total of Rs 1.60 lakh crore assistance under the Prime Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, he said.

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"As a result of this programme, over 10,000 new FPOs of marginalised farmers have come up, and they will change the scenario of agriculture in India," the minister said after inaugurating a programme organised as part of 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' in College of Fisheries here.

Under the PM-Kisan scheme, income support of Rs 6,000 per year in three equal instalments is provided to all landholding farmer families.

The Centre has been emphasising on soil health management and micro irrigation and farmers are now being encouraged to go for multiple crop farming, the union agriculture minister said.

"In order to increase farmers' income, efforts have been taken by the present government to bring down the production cost. Farmers can be encouraged to cultivate high-yield crops," he said.

Tomar also said the Centre is working for holistic development of the northeastern states.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given the highest priority to the development of the NE region, he said.

The central ministers are also coming to the northeastern states so that they can interact with people and help them in their development and growth, Tomar said.

"Road connectivity, railways and airways are developing in the region, which symbolises the growth of the new North East," he said.

He congratulated Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb for his efforts to undertake various development projects and welfare schemes.

“The number of Self Help Groups has increased under the present government from 4,000 to 26,000, which is a very good sign," he said.

Speaking at the programme, Deb said the farming sector played an important role in the economic development of the state.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)