Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, October 30, 2026, launched a scathing attack on political opponents for allegedly spreading rumours about fertiliser and fuel shortages during ongoing West Asia tensions, asserting that his government insulated Indian farmers from soaring global commodity prices.
Addressing a massive gathering of farmers in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district on the first day of his two-day state visit, the Prime Minister laid foundation stones and inaugurated development projects worth over ₹14,000 crore, alongside releasing the 24th instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme.
Global Fertiliser Subsidies and Direct Benefit Transfers
Reassuring the agricultural community, PM Modi highlighted the stark disparity between international market rates and subsidised domestic prices maintained by the Union Government:
”Tensions in the Gulf are still ongoing, but our government did not let the burden of increased fertiliser prices fall on farmers… International prices for urea stand around ₹3,000 per bag, but Indian farmers receive it for under ₹300. Di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) costs ₹5,000 internationally, yet our farmers get it at ₹1,350.”
The Prime Minister noted that over the past decade, government interventions and direct benefit transfers have yielded or saved farmers over ₹50 lakh crore. He specified that nearly ₹4.5 lakh crore has been directly credited into small farmers’ bank accounts via PM-KISAN alone, whilst ₹24 lakh crore was disbursed under Minimum Support Price (MSP) procurements for wheat and paddy over the last 12 years.
Agri-Tech Advancements and Infrastructure Launches
Marking 25 years in public office since first taking oath as Chief Minister of Gujarat in October 2001, PM Modi showcased the integration of technology in dairy farming, animal husbandry, and soil management:
- Bovine Breeding Hub: Inaugurated the 127-acre Bharat Bovine Breeding and Research Centre at Bhildi—India’s first Centre of Excellence dedicated to the indigenous Kankrej cattle breed.
- Crop Clusters & Processing: Highlighted the establishment of dedicated farming clusters for potato, tomato, chilli, pomegranate, and cocoa, including a new French fries processing plant in Banaskantha.
- Solar Integration & Cattle Health: Noted the distribution of 1.2 million solar pumps to reduce diesel dependency, along with 1.5 billion vaccine doses administered against cattle diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease.
Concluding his address, the Prime Minister announced that starting October 31—marking Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s 151st birth anniversary—National Unity Day (Rashtriya Ekta Diwas) parades will henceforth be held in the evening, mirroring the structure of Republic Day celebrations.
