Farmers seek separate budget for agriculture at State, national levels
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It is expected to go a long way in augmenting food production
Seeking a solution:N. Perumal, a progressive farmer of Puliyankurichi, explains his views at the farmers’ grievances meeting, in Salem on Friday.- PHOTO: E. LAKSHMI NARAYANAN
The farmers’ representatives who participated in the monthly farmers grievances day meeting held here on Friday made a forceful plea for a separate budget for agriculture, both at the state and national level.
C. Vaiyapuri, president, United Farmers Association of Tamil Nadu, who set the ball rolling, said that a ruling BJP MP, while speaking in the Lok Sabha recently, had demanded a separate budget for agriculture.
The MP had also demanded priority for organic farming. His demand was totally justified and the government should come forward to present a separate budget for agriculture, which will go a long way in augmenting food production. His demand was supported by other farmers.
N. Perumal of Puliyankurichi condemned the decision of Karnataka to construct two new dams across river Cauvery. He pleaded for a resolution urging Karnataka Government to do away with this move.
He said that plantain crop had been affected by some disease and pleaded with the agriculture department to take effective steps to check the same.
Mr. Perumal said that the TANGEDCO is announcing monthly load shedding for undertaking maintenance work on the week days. This affected the works in the government offices, banks etc.
S. Govindarajan of Ammanpalayam said that the agriculture department was giving figures of widespread rainfall in the district in the recent past. In reality, the district has got very minimum rainfall. Many parts of the district are reeling under severe drought conditions.
Providing exaggerated figures on rainfall received will harm the farming community, as the government may refuse to implement drought relief measures citing good monsoon.
A. R. Shanmugam of Panaimarathupatti and S. Jayaraman of Abinayam supported the view of Mr. Govindaraj.
Even while the Deputy Director of Agriculture clarified that he was only mentioning the figures provided by the Meteorological Department, K. Maharabushanam, Collector, said that 64 system tanks and their water sources were renovated in all the 16 blocks in the district under the MNREGS. But only one system tank had received adequate water in the recent rainfall.
Mr. Govindaraj expressed serious concern at the falling price of tapioca. Last year the tapioca farmers got bumper crop. But this year it is totally opposite. The price of tapioca has fallen drastically from Rs. 430 to Rs. 210 per point. The situation will only worsen if this trend continued for another month. In a similar situation in the early 1990s, the then Central regime intervened and procured tapioca from the farmers and stored it in its cold storages. It marketed the same when price increases. Similar arrangement should be made this time too, he added. Mr. Jayaraman urged the Collector to convene a special meeting for fixing the price of tapioca.
Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/farmers-seek-separate-budget-for-agriculture-at-state-national-levels/article6623965.ece
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