Separate body needed to streamline sale of agri inputs: TNCC

Chennai, Mar 5 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Congress Committee(TNCC) President M Krishnasamy today urged the Tamil Nadu Government to establish a separate body to streamline the sale of agriculture inputs, monitor the functioning of ''uzhavar sandai'' (farmers' market) and ensure fair price for farm products.

In a statement here, he said the state had the responsibility to protect the interest of farmers as eminent agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan had warned that about 40 per cent of the 65 per cent of total population engaged in agriculture, was in the state of mind of quiting farming.

After the previous AIADMK regime had closed down the ''uzhavar sandais'' for narrow political gain, the DMK Government had reopened them. But in these markets only vegetables were sold, not other products like paddy, groundnut, cotton and turmeric, he said.

On the lines of Regulated Market, which was in vogue during the Congress regime, where traders directly procured their products from the farmers, the uzhavar sandais should ensure transparency in the procurement of farm products by the traders, he suggested.

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) had also in its recent report, underlined the need for opening more uzhavar sandais and weekly sandais, Mr Krishnasamy said and wanted the Government to open uzhavar sandais in all blocks.

He said when the co-operative sugar mills pay the statutory minimum price fixed by the centre for sugarcane, private mills refused to pay the price. The State Government should intervene in the matter and ensure that private mill owners also paid the price.

UNI