Panel set up to improve state’s farm productivity

The state government has set up a committee under economist Narendra Jadhav to improve productivity and minimise input cost for farmers in rain-fed areas. For cotton farmers, the government is formulating a textile policy under which the cotton processing industry will be encouraged.

The state government has set up a committee under economist Narendra Jadhav to improve productivity and minimise input cost for farmers in rain-fed areas. For cotton farmers, the government is formulating a textile policy under which the cotton processing industry will be encouraged.

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This would include setting up of ginning and pressing units, textile parks, weaving and knitting units.

“The cotton farmers in the state will not get more money unless there is value addition to cotton farming,” Chavan said. He, however, did not announce a time frame for the execution of these initiatives.

Taking note of the age-old methods of the state agricultural pricing committee that fixes the minimum support price for agricultural commodities, Chavan announced that the committee would be restructured.

He also informed that the government had stopped the weather-based crop insurance scheme, as it was not benefiting the farmers.

However, a similar scheme is being started for horticulture, Chavan said.

In response to a two-day long debate in both houses of the state legislature, Chavan announced a Rs2,000 crore compensation package for farmers in distress.

However, these initiatives did not impress the Opposition, which staged protests demanding that the government should clearly specify how much compensation will be given to individual farmers.

In response, Chavan said the government would issue a notification before the end of the ongoing session detailing the compensation rates.

The Opposition, however, said they would continue with their agitation.

“We will not allow the functioning of the house till we get a satisfactory reply,” said state BJP president Sudhir Mungantiwar, who is also a legislator.

The opposition Shiv Sena-BJP alliance has been staging protests inside the legislature since its winter session began here on Monday.