Pawar calls for greater outlays, investments in agriculture sector

New Delhi, Dec 22 (UNI) Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar stressed the need for enhancing both State and Central Plan outlays in agriculture to achieve high growth in this sector.

Addressing the conference of State Ministers of Agriculture and Allied sectors here today, the Minister said it is also imperative that the States provide adequate funds, strengthen infrastructure and help capital formation and investment in the sector.

The conference has been called to discuss recommendations of the National Commission on Farmers under Prof M S Swaminthan. The Comission had submitted its fifth and final report to the Government in October.

Taking a cue from the Commission's report, Mr Pawar said the mainstay of the next Green Revolution would be to produce more on less land and less water and therefore, soil health and water conservation are of crucial significance.

Other main areas needing urgent attention would be access to affordable credit, agricultural insurance, development of marketing and other infrastructure, he added.

Mr Pawar said technology and new knowledge must be disseminated widely so that it results in higher yield and value to the farmer.

''What we need to ensure in the coming years is to promote those proven technologies, which are appropriate to dryland agriculture so that the most vulnerable sections of the farming community, namely, small and marginal farmers, are benefitted,'' he said.

The Minister informed that a number of recommendations made by the Commission are already underway through new initiatives taken by the Government in the recent past.

He mentioned Bharat Nirman, NREGP, National Horticulture Mission, expansion of institutional farm credit, scaling down of inerest on farm loans, establishment of National Rainfed Area Authority and National Fisheries Development Board and other programmes.

Mr Pawar was hopeful that these initiatives would help find a durable solution to the agrarian crisis.

The Agriculture Minister said the recommendations by the Commission would need to be examined quickly. The inputs received from States at today's conference would be extremely useful in prioritising action and formulating appropriate schemes in the Eleventh Plan.

Minister of State for Agriculture and Cooperation Kanti Lal Bhuria said the steps taken by different States to implement the strategy for the current Rabi season is likely to result in about one million hectare additional land coming under wheat.

Dr P K Mishra, Secretary, Agriculture and Cooperation, hoped that the deliberations would help in adopting the National Policy for Farmers, which is the essence of the final recommendations of the National Commission on Farmers.

In his elaborate presentation, Prof Swaminathan identified the core issues that need to be addressed and the main components of the draft National Policy for Farmers proposed by the Commission.

He concluded presentation with a hope that Budget 2007-08 would be a dream budget for agriculture.

The Conference is being atteded by the Punjab Governor, Chief Ministers of some States and Ministers of Agriculture and Allied Sectors from all States and Union Territories.

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