Swaminathan moots stress on ryots' problems

Bhopal, July 21 (UNI) Stressing that peasants' problems needed far greater focus than agriculture itself, National Farmers' Commission Chairman M S Swaminathan today favoured enhancing cultivators' income for the country's economic development.

''Programmes such as 'gyan chaupals' should be the medium for disseminating information on how the agri sector has changed over time,'' the renowned scientist said while interacting with ryots' organisations here.

Lauding the Madhya Pradesh government for implementing the commission's recommendations, he added that the regime decided to constitute a state farmers' commission, implement farm, pond and drip-irrigation schemes and fix the 'patwari halka' as the unit for a crop insurance scheme.

''Likewise, positive work is taking place for land conservation and Madhya Pradesh has become the first state to set up a Biodiversity Board,'' the expert added.

UNI AG-AC PKS HT2134