Jakhar favours higher MSP for farmers

Chandigarh, May 28 (UNI) Madhya Pradesh Governor Balram Jhakhar today opined that the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of agricultural produce should be linked with the price index.

"The input costs of the farmers should be taken into consideration before determining the price of a agricultural product", Mr Jakhar said while participating in a 'Meet the Press' programme at the Chandigarh Press Club here.

"If imported foodgrains can be given a higher rate, then why cant our own farmers", he added while refering to the plight of the agricultural community.

Replying to a question on the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) policy of the government, the Governor was of the firm opinion that the stake of the farmers on the land being purchased for an SEZ "should be kept intact". The farmers should be made partners in the SEZ project, rather than simply being compensated for their land, he added.

Refering to contract farming, he said that the farmers should never be deprived of the "right of their land". He stressed the need for setting up agro based industries in the rural areas to provide employment to the next of kin of farmers who are facing problems due to the decrease in land holdings.

Tracing the decline of agriculture in the country, Mr Jakhar lamented that enough was not done in this sector to uplift the lot of the farming community. " We all are to blame for this", he added.

Questioned about the debt trap in which a vast majority of the farmers find themselves, he said that a permanent solution would have to be found for this. "We cannot simply waive off their loans, year after year", he said while suggesting that loans at six per cent interest rate should be made avaliable to the farmers.

Expressing concern on the over exploitation of groundwater sources, particularly in Punjab, Mr Jakhar felt that the government would have to urgently readdress itself to this problem. He further suggested that the Israeli system of drip and sprinkle irrigation was one answer to check the falling groundwater level.

Mr Jakhar who was re-elected the president of the Bharat Krishak Samaj at its national convention at Karnal yesterday also felt the need for setting up some sort of Commission in each state to look into the quality level of fertilizers, seeds and pesticides or weedicides being made avaliable to the farmers.

The MP Governor observed that the ceiling policy on agriculture land may have ended the 'zimandari' system, but it had led to fragmantation of land holdings. " The result today is that due to smaller land holdings the agri production level had fallen and we have to import foodgrains to meet the demands of our growing population", he added.

Mr Jakhar also felt the need of paying attention to education in the rural areas of the country.

UNI