Farmers146; policy to revive agri sector

The Centre on Friday unveiled a 8220;National Policy for Farmers, 20078221;, which would replace the National Agriculture Policy, 2000.

The Centre on Friday unveiled a 8220;National Policy for Farmers, 20078221;, which would replace the National Agriculture Policy, 2000. The policy promises to constitute an Inter-Ministerial Committee at the Centre which would work out appropriate plans to operationalise various policy features aimed at rejuvenating agriculture sector. An Agricultural Coordination Committee, under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister, would oversee and coordinate the integrated implementation of policy as suggested by the Inter-Ministerial Committee. The policy derives primarily from the recommendations of National Commission of Farmers.

The policy, which comes after the Food Security Mission worth Rs 4,900 crore and Additional Central Assistance Rs 25,000 crore for agriculture sector, was unveiled by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar in the Parliament on Friday.

The policy, for the first time, has defined 8220;farmer8221; in a holistic manner to include not only those who engage in producing primary agricultural produce but also to include agricultural labourers, tenants, sharecroppers and persons engaged in various farming-related occupations such as sericulture, vermiculture, and agro-forestry, among others. In this context, the policy envisages steps to improve the economic viability of farming by substantially improving the net income of farmers.

In view of the proliferation of tiny and economically unviable farm holding, the policy recognises the role of contract farming as one of the ways to achieve economies of scale for small and marginal farmers. On this, the policy promises to bring out a code of conduct for contract farming and encourage a farmer-friendly contract farming system. However, it underlines it would not alienate the farmers from their land under 8220;any circumstances8221;.

The policy provides greater focus to develop entrepreneurship in the the agricultural sector and emphasises the need for curriculum restructuring in agricultural universities, which would be geared towards grooming agricultural graduates as an entrepreneur. It further promises to develop centres of excellence in agriculture, modeled after IITs and IIMs, to enhance the competitiveness of the graduates from these centres.