Helping India's farmers embrace a cashless economy

NEW DELHI: The government has taken a slew of measures to ensure that cash requirements of farmers are not adversely impacted due to the demonetisation exercise, even as it has urged farmers to join the movement for cashless transactions in the ongoing sowing season.
About 50 farmers did their first cashless transaction at the event and bought seeds and fertilisers in the presence of Union ministers.
Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh and Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu were present at the event held in Dadri on November 26. On November 27, the Agriculture Minister attended a seminar in Dehradun, while the Railway Minister was present at Palwal.
The ministers addressed the farmers and encouraged them to embrace digital banking.
The Prime Minister has urged farmers to embrace cashless transactions. In his monthlyradio address, Mann Ki Baat, he said: "I want to salute the farmers who are standing tall in difficult times."
Several bodies in the agriculture sector have come forward to lend a helping hand. The Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO), the world's largest fertilizer cooperative, has initiated a pan India outreach programme to educate farmers about the benefits of shifting towards cashless transactions through live demonstrations and interactive sessions.
"IFFCO has decided to spearhead the campaign in all our marketing zones located across the country to sensitize our farmers about the use of online and digital payment gateways and also educate them about the benefits of going cashless," said managing director US Awasthi, who’ll be travelling to 125 locations across the country to address farmers and member cooperatives. Separate stalls will be set up in each of these locations to conduct live demonstrations of doing cashless transactions through various available means and also answer the queries posed by farmers regarding the same.
Last week, the government had asked banks to provide resources to cooperative institutions with which they are associated to meet cash requirements of the farm sector during the ongoing rabi season. The finance ministry had also allowed farmers to use old Rs 500 notes for purchasing seeds from any state or central government outlets and agri universities.