India to spend $13bn on a farm infrastructure fund

• The government will also amend the Essential Commodities Act to ease restrictions on trade of farm products, Sitharaman told a news conference.
• The allocation is part of a 20 trillion rupee ($266 billion) fiscal and monetary package to support the economy.

NEW DELHI: India will provide one trillion Indian rupees ($13.19 billion) to set up for the agriculture infrastructure fund, Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Friday.

The government will also amend the Essential Commodities Act to ease restrictions on trade of farm products, Sitharaman told a news conference.

The allocation is part of a 20 trillion rupee ($266 billion) fiscal and monetary package to support the economy that has been battered by a weeks-long lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus.

In February, the government set up a target of 15 trillion rupees lending to the farm sector.