Himachal pleads for separate agriculture credit policy

New Delhi, Dec 22 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh today requested the Centre to formulate a farmer-friendly agriculture credit policy with all crops brought under the insurance cover.

The insurance cover should not be limited to sowing, but should extend to post harvesting and marketing, Himachal Pradesh Agriculture Minister Raj Krishan Gaur said at the state agriculture ministers' conference here.

Mr Gaur also suggested setting up of a bio-technology regulatory authority both at the national and state level in view of the increasing importance of genetically-modified seeds in the country.

He also called for the establishment of a national livestock development council, livestock feed and fodder corporations and a national fisheries development board to give focused attention to the sector.

He said a centrally-sponsored social security scheme should be started to give protection to farmers and landless labourers.

He also supported the concept of price stabilisation mechanism to ensure remunerative prices to the farmers.

He said an All India Agriculture Council and 'centres of education'in agriculture education should be set up on the patterns of IITs.

The curricula of agriculture universities should be revised so as to produce agri entrepreneurs rather than agriculture graduates and post graduates, he said.

He also asked the Centre to give a fresh look at NABARD.

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