E-Paper
?Increase actual earnings of farmers?
CHAIRMAN NATIONAL Commission on Farmers Dr M S Swaminathan today strongly pleaded for increasing the actual earning of farmers, keeping in view the importance of the agriculture sector, which contributes substantially to economic growth of the country.
CHAIRMAN NATIONAL Commission on Farmers Dr M S Swaminathan today strongly pleaded for increasing the actual earning of farmers, keeping in view the importance of the agriculture sector, which contributes substantially to economic growth of the country.
Dr Swaminathan was of the view that greater attention should be paid to redressing problem of farmers. This would help pave the way for development of agriculture sector.
The Commission held an interactive session with representatives of the farmers, their organisations, agriculture scientists, bankers, officers and persons associated with this field in order to finalise a draft on National Policy on Farmers at Academy of Administration, here today. The National Commission, Chairman and father of green revolution in India, Dr Swaminathan in his address laid special emphasis on ensuring adequate loan facility to farmers at the right place and right time.
In the absence of these facilities talking of the interests of farmers cannot be meaningful he said. He also underlined the need to focus on awareness in farming so as to achieve the target of all-round development of farmers.
In this context, referring to the usefulness of ‘Gyan Chaupal’ programme, Dr Swaminathan said it would help to a great extent in making farmers aware of new technologies being adopted and giving them necessary guidance in the agriculture sector.
Dr Swaminathan said overall progress of the agriculture sector was possible only through economic development of farmers. Dr M S Swaminathan congratulated the Madhya Pradesh Government for implementation of recommendations of the Commission.
He said the State Government had taken a number of commendable decisions in the larger interests of farmers. These include constitution of State Commission on Farmers, implementation of farm-pond and drip irrigation schemes and making the patwari halka a basis for calculating the claims under the Crop Insurance Scheme.
Similarly, remarkable work had been done in the field of soil conservation and Madhya Pradesh is the first State in the whole country, which has set up a Bio-diversity Board, he said.
Member Secretary National Commission on Farmers Atul Sinha said the parameter for growth of agriculture sector should be the income of farmers. He said the Commission had so far submitted four reports to the Union Government on welfare of farmers since its formation.
Farmers and their representatives put forth a number of useful suggestions on this occasion.
These suggestions include participation of farmers in fixation of price of their crop produce, determination of profit making value, proper arrangements for marketing and proper guidance in this regard, change in interest rates of agricultural loans, expansion of availability of agriculture capital, prior intimation of land acquisition and payment of declared price, elimination of middlemen in the marketing set up, holding of the meeting of the commission at district level and reconstitution of agriculture price commission.
