‘My biggest worry is how to improve status of Indian farmers’

Availability of water in different basins of the country is highly variable within a season and over the years. In addition to other strategies, inter-basin transfer of water is under active consideration of Government of India. A Task Force on Interlinking Rivers has already been set up by the Centre.

Temperature-controlled large food storage godowns are very much needed in the country. This is one area where the government should talk with private investors, both domestic and foreign. Please comment. Ananth Bhat
The Government of India has implemented a programme for creation of additional capacity of cold storage by providing capital subsidy to the tune of 25 per cent. However, the ceiling for support of 25 per cent investment is restricted to Rs 50 lakh except for North-Eastern region, for which the ceiling is Rs 60 lakh. This programme is under implementation for the last two-and-a-half years and has created an additional capacity of 30 lakh tonnes.

Will you continue the policy of your predecessor in giving more power to bureaucrats than scientists in ICAR? Dr V K Goel
The scientists and bureaucrats are to move and move forwards in a complimentary mode so that the best possible environment continues to be there in years to come. Any individual of any sector working in agricultural research and development is important in agricultural transformation of the country, particularly in the present changing global scenario where frontier areas of agriculture are to be addressed to in right earnest. Hence, equal opportunity to each and everyone if considered vital.

Do you see yourself as a potential prime ministerial candidate in the second line of leadership, after Vajpayee and Advani? Hiimat Singh
No

Do you think the sugarcane crisis is created by wrong politics of the government? Is there a solution? Rakesh Kumar
No. The Centre is empowered to fix the Statutory Minimum Price (SMP) under provisions of Sugarcane (Control), 1966. Some problems have been faced by the Sugarcane farmers of Uttar Pradesh. The state government has announced a State Advised Price. The sugar mills of UP haver expressed their inability to pay the State Advised Price as the sugarcane price has declined mainly because of larger releases of free sale sugar based on the orders obtained by sugar mills from the courts. We are working towards a solution which will not only protect the interests of the farmers but also harmonise the interest of all the stake-holders.

You have just taken over as minister. What is the biggest challenge that the agriculture sector is facing? S B Bhatia
My biggest worry is how to improve the status of Indian farmers and increase their income and how to make farming profitable. Ensuring effective terms of trade to benefit farmers (by ensuring the availability of timely, cheap and adequate inputs and the remunerative prices for their produce) and consumers (by keeping prices reasonable) alike is considered vital.

Declining factor productivity, increase in biotic and abiotic pressure, depleting genetic resources and degrading lands and water are the greatest challenges. Increasing the flow of resources and augmenting the rate of capital formation in agriculture are vital for increasing the rate of agricultural production. Protecting Indian farmers from the onslaught of falling international prices and equipping them to face the challenges under WTO regime shall have to be the top most priority.