Centre for 6.5 pc farm output

Identifying lack of public and private investment as one of the main factors hindering farm sector growth, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar...

Identifying lack of public and private investment as one of the main factors hindering farm sector growth, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has said the Centre will adopt a multi-pronged strategy in specific segments for higher productivity.

Replying to a question on whether the government had set a target to increase the annual growth rate of agricultural production by more than 6.5 per cent in the coming year, Pawar said: “The problem is there’s not enough public and private sector investment in agricultural sector.”

Added to this is the agricultural sector’s inability to “withstand weather-related shocks” and “steady decline in public investment in real terms in agriculture, including allied sectors, over successive five-year plans”, Pawar said.

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The minister said the Centre was trying to get state governments to issue advisories for promoting best farm practices among farmers to maximise production during the 2005 kharif season as part of its multi-pronged strategy.

He said the foodgrain stock in the central pool on July 1, 2005 was 25.11 million tonnes, just short of the revised buffer norm of 26.90 million tonnes.

The shortfall reflects the combined impact of lower procurement of wheat in 2005-06 — 14.79 million tonnes — compared to the previous year’s figure of 16.80 million tonnes.

Pawar said the Centre had stepped up allocation for horticulture as a result of huge post-harvest losses in the horticulture sector. The losses have touched Rs 60,000 crore. He added that new food processing industries have been given a five-year tax holiday.

Though the EC’s media invitation did not specify the subject, officials said the briefing would pertain to the SIR schedule. (File)

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