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Increase budgetary allocation for farm sector: FFA
Highlights
The allocation to agriculture should be increased from 30 per cent to 40 per cent in the Central budget. Demands interest-free loans to farmers and education loans.Increase crop storage facilities
Tirupati: Speakers at a farmers meeting organised by the Federation of Farmers Associations (FFA) here on Saturday urged the Union government to recognise agriculture as an industry and extend the same measures that are being provided for industries to agriculture to ensure its development.
Agriculture economists and experts including Subba Reddy and L Kannaiah Naidu vociferously demanded hike in allocation in the Union budget to agriculture from the present 30 per cent to 40 per cent, keeping in view that it was agriculture sector which is contributing 40 per cent of the revenue. Besides interest free loan to agriculture, education loan facility to farmers, total compensation to the crops lost in natural calamities like drought and floods. They also sought an in-depth study on lending by banks and also on the problems faced by the farmers to find out remedial measures. They also mooted special budget for development of water resources including rain harvesting, percolation tanks, farm ponds, rejuvenation of tanks and canals etc.
Farmers’ leader Jayachandra Chowdary and others said that the storage facilities in the rural areas as well as in the agriculture market committee yards are not all sufficient and demanded the Union government to provide adequate funds for increasing storage facilities for the farmers to avoid distress sale during glut. They also urged the Centre to introduce cold chain rakes to regular trains connecting metropolitan cities including national capital New Delhi for the benefit of the farmers of Chittoor district. This will help them market their produce like vegetables and fruits directly in the cities to get better price, they explained.
The other measures mooted by the farmers, leaders and experts in the meeting include implementation of the promises made in the BJP-led NDA election manifesto with regard to agriculture development, and linkage of rivers for development of irrigation.
FFA State secretary Mangati Gopal Reddy said that the meeting was held to elicit suggestions from the farmers, experts and intellectuals which were sought by the Union Finance Ministry for considering them to include in the Central budget proposals. He said that the FFA based on the suggestions received in the meet will sent a report to the Ministry for pro-farmer initiatives in the 2016-17 Union Budget.
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