Atmanirbhar Kisan: FM Sitharaman allows mandis to access Agri Infra Fund

Cess might not pinch the pocket much as it could be offset by cut in customs duty

With thousands of farmers protesting at Delhi borders for the past few months, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tried to reassure them in her Budget speech.
 
She responded by laying down a statement on Prime Minister Narendra Modi government’s track record on grain procurement compared to its predecessors, along with an announcement to allow Agricultural Produce Market Committees access to the Rs 1-trillion Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF).
 
In terms of allocation, though there was little for the farm sector as the total budget for agriculture and allied sector was pegged at Rs 1.48 trillion in 2021-22 (FY22), up just