Ryot bodies root for new farm policy

Ryot bodies root for new farm policy
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Highlights

A three-day Kisan Swaraj Sammelan kick-started on Friday with farmer organisations demanding a sustainable agricultural policy to end the agrarian distress.

KISAN SWARAJ SAMMELAN KICKS OFF

Hyderabad: A three-day Kisan Swaraj Sammelan kick-started on Friday with farmer organisations demanding a sustainable agricultural policy to end the agrarian distress. Organised by Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA) and hosted by Rythu Swarajya Vedika, about 600 delegates from 25 states are attending the convention.

Speaking at the inauguration of the 3rd Kisan Swaraj Sammelan, Prof Kodandaram said that the agricultural share to the GDP was about 18 per cent by 60 per cent farmers but 80 per cent of the farmers have small land holdings. He stressed on the need for the farmer organisations to come up with an alternative agricultural policy and press for its implementation as the government on its own would not be bringing out one.

Former Minister Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao blamed the Centre for coming in the way of several states that want to implement the minimum support price. He further added that in such a scenario farmer organisations need to search for a collective way forward. Echoing a similar sentiment, G V Ramanjaneyulu, Director, Centre for Sustainable Agriculture said that a sustainable agri-policy was the need of the hour as everyday 2,000 farmers were leaving agriculture. “Of the three lakh farmers who committed suicide, 30,000 farmers are from Telangana in the last 20 years.

During this period five Chief Ministers changed but the plight of the farmers is the same,” he added. Speakers were of the opinion that a holistic policy was needed to lift the farmers from the present state they are in. The next two days would focus on issues pertaining to income security for producers, ensuring ecological sustainability of agriculture, protection of resources like land, water, forest and seed and securing access to safe, healthy, diverse, nutritious and sufficient food for all. At the end of the three-day convention, the organisers plan to submit proposals pertaining to the farming sector to the Government of India.

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