ANANTAPUR: Newly elected State president of Andhra Pradesh Rythu Sangham (APRS), affiliated to CPI, K. Ramakrishna, has stressed the need for a countrywide agitation on the problems being faced by the farming community.

A protest programme on farmers' problems would be chalked out at the national convention of All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) to be held at Midnapore in West Bengal from January 28 to 31, he told newspersons here on Sunday. About 48.6 per cent farmers in the country were in debt.

Credit for `luxuries'

He explained that only 50 per cent of the farmers were getting credit from banks and cooperative societies. The rest were at the mercy of moneylenders and traders. While loans were given at 14 per cent interest rate to farmers, for luxury goods only half the rate is charged, he said. Chairman of the National Agriculture Commission, M.S. Swaminathan, had already recommended lending to the farming sector at 4 per cent interest, Mr. Ramakrishna said. In China, farmers were being given loans without any interest, he noted. He also urged the Government to write off debts up to Rs. 30,000 of the farmers to ease the burden.

Chalo Assembly

The APRS would conduct a `Chalo Assembly' programme during the next session of Assembly, he said. He urged the Government to announce Rs. 2,000 per acre crop loss compensation for farmers who were not covered under insurance scheme. Half the problems of farmers could be solved if they were ensured a remunerative price to their produce, he felt. Farming community required much more than free power and irrigation projects, particularly in the wake of WTO regime implications, he said.

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