National Commission on Farmers submits its fifth and final report

New Delhi, Oct 4 (UNI) Prof M S Swaminathan, Chairman, National Commission on Farmers, submitted the fifth and final report of the Commission to Mr Sharad Pawar, Minister of Agriculture, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution here today.

The terms of reference of the Commission which was reconstituted in November 2004 include: --Work out a comprehensive medium term strategy for food and nutrition security in the country in order to move towards the goal of universal food security over time; --Propose methods of enhancing the productivity, profitability, stability and sustainability of the major farming systems of the country; --Bring about synergy between technology and public policy and recommend measures for enhancing income and employment potential in rural areas through appropriate technology.

--Suggest measures to attract and retain educated youths in farming and recommend for this purpose methods of technological upgradation of crop husbandry, horticulture, animal husbandry, fisheries, agro-forestry as well as agro-processing and associated marketing infrastructure; --Suggest comprehensive policy reforms designed to enhance investment in agri-research, substantially increase flow of rural credit to farmers including small and marginal; --Formulate special programmes for dryland farming in the arid and semi-arid regions as well as for farmers in hilly and coastal areas; --Recommend measures for credit, knowledge, skill, technological and marketing empowerment of women taking into consideration the increasing feminisation of agriculture and the proposed conferment of right to land ownership; and --Suggest methods of empowering male and female members of elected local bodies to discharge effectively their role in conserving and improving the ecological foundations for sustainable agriculture etc.

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