New agriculture policy to link farmers to markets

Kolkata, May 23: The Centre is formulating a new agricultural policy to link farmers directly to markets and enhance the competitiveness of food processing industry globally, Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Subodh Kant Sahai said today.

Inaugurating the conference on ''Linking Farmers to Markets: The Food Processing Way,'' organised by ASSOCHAM here, the minister said deliberations on the new policy would take place in the National Development Council (NDC) meeting on May 29 in New Delhi.

''The challenge before the government today is to make the farmers self-reliant by making him sell his produce at competitive rates direct to markets, superstores and retail shops and the new policy is a move to this direction,'' Mr Sahai said.

He said with the implementation of the policy, the farmers would achieve economic independence, not remain parasite, and become an integral part of economy.

The policy would also emphasise on spreading awareness among farmers to make them a partner in supply management chain-from producing of grain to its supplies and to end-users.

''India ranks first in the world in production of cereals, milk and livestock population and second largest in fruit and vegetable production and the country can add many feathers to its cap with the implementation of the new policy,'' Mr Sahai observed.

UNI