MP constitutes Farmers Commission

Bhopal, Sep 19 (UNI) The Madhya Pradesh government has set up a Farmers Commission to suggest measures for framing policies and programmes to bring about radical change in farmers lives and to make agriculture a profitable venture.

Formal orders for setting up the Commission and appointing Mr Rajendra Pathak of Panna district as its Chairman for two year tenure have been issued, official sources said today.

The commission, having its headquarters at Bhopal, will submit an interim report to the state government every three months and final report within two years, the sources added.

The Commission will study the status of agriculture and relevant fields and will give suggestions for removal of existing regional imbalance in production and productivity of main kharif, rabi and horticulture crops, increasing agriculture productivity, and to ensure availability of fertilisers, seeds, credit facility and agriculture extension programmes.

The commission will also suggest ways for developing effective and useful techniques of low-cost farming, besides enhancing quality and cost of agricultural genes, developing dry farming along with land and water conservation in areas usually affected by drought and scanty rains.

Measures to generate adequate employment opportunities in rural areas by integrating various development programmes and storing agriculture produces will also be explored along with price augmentation of agriculture produce and expanding agriculture marketing system and its infrastructure.

Adoption of advanced technological methods of crop production, animal husbandry, fisheries, horticulture and food processing in reference to mixed farming and attracting educated youth towards agriculture and ensuring maximum benefits from crop insurance are other areas to be studied by the commission.

UNI SP SB DB1229