Vidarbha farmers must change farm model: NABARD

Nagpur, Nov 4: National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD) Chairman Dr Y S P Thorat today said the farmers in Vidarbha must change their farm model to come out of the current agrarian crisis.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with government and bank officials to review the implementation of the Prime Minister's relief package for Vidarbha farmers here, Dr Thorat said the farmers in the region depended solely on a primary crop.

''We must create for him a model that included additional means of livelihood like animal husbandry, dairy and poultry farming to enhance his income,'' he said.

The present model of taking a crop, that too with dependence on an unreliable nature, was not very viable, he said.

Replying to questions, Dr Thorat said availability of money for extending credit to the farmers in the region was not a problem.

''Liquidity is not a problem at all. We have not reached out to all the farmers who need credit,'' he said, adding that NABARD had now geared up to ensure credit to every eligible farmer in the region.

Dr Thorat said that although suicide by farmers was not a new phenomenon per se, the scale and regularity in the recent months, had taken the banks by surprise. The banks were not prepared for suicides on such a large scale, but had now geared up to meet the challenge, he said.

UNI