CM: Focus on adding to farm income

Shilpa P | NT

Mysuru: Agriculture alone cannot improve the economic status of farmers and so the state government is coming up with a dedicated directorate which will envisage programmes to increase farmer’s income from other sources too. ‘’If a farmer’s economic condition is stable, agriculture too will prosper,” said Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday.

He was addressing over 2500 farmers from across the state at a convention in Mysuru on Sunday. “Usually governments focus on food production, but they do not focus on the farmer who produces it. Our production has increased, but money reaches those who market the grains and not farmers. We have lost control over fixing the rates of our agricultural products, after we entered into a WTO agreement. Also due to ongoing research, there are new crop breeds and famers get tired of switching from one to another. The amount of land they own is the same over the years, but their dependents have increased. Farmers live in uncertainty as they don’t know if there is going to be enough rain or if his crop will fetch a good price. Rural credit banks give limited loans and so farmers are perpetually caught between a shortage of funds and the pressure of clearing loans,” he said.

He added, “We had a long discussion with Ashok Dalwai, head of the Farmers’ income multiplication committee, who has come up with suggestions on comprehensive, secondary farming and secondary earning in his report to the central government. So we are coming up with this directorate,” he said.

Mr Ashok Dalwai, secretary Agriculture department said, “Since 1951, our food production has increased six fold. We have enough production of rice, wheat and few millets. But we are not producing adequate oil seeds and pulses which are sources of protein. The government is spending Rs 70,000 crore for importing them from other countries,” he said.

Vidya Nidhi to be extended to high school girls too

CM Bommai also said that if there was emphasis on the education of farmers’ children, they can get employment and their status of living will improve. So the government has come up with the Vidya Nidhi scheme for farmers’ children. It has already benefitted 240,000 children and will benefit 5 lakh children by March. In rural areas, several girls are dropping out and so we are planning to extend it to high school girls too,” he said. The CM also said that a decision will be taken soon on increasing sugar prices soon. ‘’Farmers have lost 12 lakh acres of standing crops due to untimely rains. Along with ex gratia released by central government, we have already released Rs 800 crores of ex gratia for crop loss,” he said. Mr Kurbur Shanthakumar, state president, state sugarcane growers’ association, was felicitated on the occasion to mark his 40 years in farmers’ movements. The CM also inaugurated oxygen plants at JSS hospital in Mysuru.