Kerala urge Centre to announce CCP to farmers

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 14 (UNI) The Kerala government has urged the Centre to announce a Comprehensive Compensation Package (CCP) for farmers in the state, Agriculture Minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran informed the state Assembly today.

Replying to a call attention motion by Mr M V Sreyams Kumar (JD-S), he said as 50 per cent of the small and marginal farmers were suffering due to the Centre's import policy, such a package would help to protect these farmers from committing suicide.

The Government had approached the Central Government to include important agriculture crops produced in the state in the protected list. It had already held talks with experts in this regard on September nine and informed the Centre to include coconut and coconut products, pepper and its byproducts, tea, coffee, arecanut, banana and cardamom as special products, he said.

Mr Ratnakaran said the government had also asked the Centre to set up agriculture import monitoring centers in all the states with representatives from the State and Centre to monitor whether the conditions of Value-Added Products are being adhered to and ensure import of quality raw materials to the country.

Moving the motion, Mr Sreyams Kumar said the government should take necessary steps to include the agriculture products of Kerala in the protected list of the World Trade Agreement.

UNI