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Retail FDI farmers’ top demand
The Government might have put FDI in multi-brand retail policy in cold storage but it is the first thing that the farmers have sought in the upcoming Budget.
In a budgetary consultation on agriculture with the Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Consortium of Indian Farmers Association (CIFA) — one of the biggest consortiums of farmers in the country — listed it as the first demand.
Unlike past years, farmers’ demands charter reads different this year considering the Government doesn’t have enough money now and for the next few years due to economic slowdown, policy paralysis, and mega projects like MGNREGA and National Food Security Bill (NFSB). While NFSB will require `6 lakh crore over the next 3 years, MGNREGA will require `60,000 crore every year.
“That’s why we sought liberalisation, policies and reforms in this year Budget,” said Chengal Reddy, Secretary General of CIFA.
The consortium said that the Government should approve FDI in multi-brand retail, remove restrictions on sugar levy and release, liberalise export, allow commodity trading and implement Aadhar card to enable direct cash subsidy to farmers and PDS beneficiaries.
Aadhar, which has the potential too check misuse of subsidies, is in a limbo after rejection from the standing committee on finance. Farmers want Aadhar project to go on as this will stop pilferage of fertilizer, kerosene, PDS and other subsidies.
Farmers said unremunerative prices and high labour cost are the most critical issues and MGNREGA should be linked to agriculture. The consortium also sought priority lending status for dairy sector at interest of 4 per cent to check increase in milk price.
Reddy said that Mukherjee, who was accompanied by Agriculture Secretary PK Basu and Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices chairman Ashok Gulati, told the delegation of farmers the budget would focus on increasing agri production (to fulfill NFSM grain requirement), reducing production variations (to check steep inflation) and reforms.
The Government might have put FDI in multi-brand retail policy in cold storage but it is the first thing that the farmers have sought in the upcoming Budget.
In a budgetary consultation on agriculture with the Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Consortium of Indian Farmers Association (CIFA) — one of the biggest consortiums of farmers in the country — listed it as the first demand.
Unlike past years, farmers’ demands charter reads different this year considering the Government doesn’t have enough money now and for the next few years due to economic slowdown, policy paralysis, and mega projects like MGNREGA and National Food Security Bill (NFSB). While NFSB will require `6 lakh crore over the next 3 years, MGNREGA will require `60,000 crore every year.
“That’s why we sought liberalisation, policies and reforms in this year Budget,” said Chengal Reddy, Secretary General of CIFA.
The consortium said that the Government should approve FDI in multi-brand retail, remove restrictions on sugar levy and release, liberalise export, allow commodity trading and implement Aadhar card to enable direct cash subsidy to farmers and PDS beneficiaries.
Aadhar, which has the potential too check misuse of subsidies, is in a limbo after rejection from the standing committee on finance. Farmers want Aadhar project to go on as this will stop pilferage of fertilizer, kerosene, PDS and other subsidies.
Farmers said unremunerative prices and high labour cost are the most critical issues and MGNREGA should be linked to agriculture. The consortium also sought priority lending status for dairy sector at interest of 4 per cent to check increase in milk price.
Reddy said that Mukherjee, who was accompanied by Agriculture Secretary PK Basu and Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices chairman Ashok Gulati, told the delegation of farmers the budget would focus on increasing agri production (to fulfill NFSM grain requirement), reducing production variations (to check steep inflation) and reforms.
