LDF Govt. to give highest priority to tackling farm crisis

Thiruvananthapuram, June 16 (UNI) The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala proposes to give highest priority to tackling the crisis in agriculture sector by taking steps to improve productivity through watershed-based planning, better provision of credit, reform of land and water management institutions and adoption of better technology for cultivation and post-harvest operations.

Elaborating the government policy in this regard, Governor R L Bhatia told the opening session of the 12th Assembly today that adoption of biotechnology, promotion of organic farming and other innovative farming methods would be popularised.

He said agri-export zones for medicinal plants, fruits and vegetables would be made fully functional.

Mr Bhatia said the government had already decided to write off the loans taken by the farmers who had committed suicide. It had initiated dialogue with financial institutions regarding measures that could be adopted for reducing the existing debt burden and rescheduling of loans. In addition, the government was considering a proposal to set up a Debt Relief Commission with quasi-judicial powers to go into the cases of loans taken by farmers from private moneylenders.

The Commission would arbitrate on the appropriate level at which the debt contracted at exorbitant interest rates in the past should now be fixed, get banks to take over the debt wherever possible, with the government coming in as a possible guarantor. It would also decide on cases of debt write-off for destitute farmers where the government could settle the entire debt on the farmers behalf.

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