Agriculture Ministry Re -Named as '' Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare '' Saturday Aug 15,2015

Seven decade-old Agriculture Ministry will be renamed as ‘Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Ministry’ with a view to take care of the farming community’s needs as well as the personal problems faced by them, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Saturday Aug 15,2015

Addressing the nation on the 69th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed on the need to increase agricultural productivity and said the government is making efforts to boost crop yields.

Emphasising on the welfare of farmers for overall growth of the agri-sector, he said the government will rename the present Agriculture Ministry as ‘Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Ministry’.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised that rural and agricultural development can only be complete when welfare of the farmer is also ensured. He said the government will formulate schemes keeping in view some of the personal problems that are faced by the farmers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said besides schemes for development of agriculture in the coming days, there will also be schemes for development of farmers and the government will work in the direction of addressing problems faced by the farmers in their personal lives.

Pre-independent India had a combined Department of Revenue, Agriculture and Commerce set up in June 1871.

In 1881, the Department of Revenue and Agriculture was reconstituted as separate departments, but in 1923, the departments of Education and Health were combined with it to form the ‘Department of Education, Health and Lands’.

In 1945, it was trifurcated into three separate departments of Agriculture, Education and Health.

The Department of Agriculture was re-dedicated as the Ministry of Agriculture in August 1947.

At present, the Agriculture Ministry under Radha Mohan Singh is mandated to devise schemes to incentivise crop production, including by fixing the minimum support price, for more than 20 crops.

A separate Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, headed by Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, looks after procurement of foodgrains and their supplies through ration shops.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the government is focusing on raising farm productivity, and providing electricity and irrigation to farmers.

“We need to increase agricultural productivity and we are working in that direction,” he said, adding that focus should be on achieving “per drop, more crop”.