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Action plan for four per cent growth rate in agriculture

Gargi Parsai

Aim to strengthen farm marketing network

NEW DELHI: Concerned at the slowdown in agriculture growth, the Ministry of Agriculture has drawn a short-term and long-term strategy to achieve a growth rate of four per cent. It feels that shared responsibility between the Centre and the States in addressing common as well as region-specific constraints in agriculture can help in achieving the four per cent target growth rate in the sector.

As part of the plan is the intention to revisit the subsidy regime on fertilizer, water and power for better targeting and at the same time, to provide incentives to agro-processing sector through investment friendly measures like "friendly" taxation policies.

The government aims to strengthen farm marketing intelligence network and ensure adequate, timely credit at affordable rates of interest. With land holding size getting "smaller and unviable," the government considers contract farming as a "partial solution" to the problem.

To achieve accelerated growth and employment in the sectors, the government is looking at higher public investment in agriculture and allied sectors. Higher funding and attention would also be given to strengthening quarantine, phyto-sanitary, residue testing, quality control facilities, vaccine and other biologicals in the country. The functioning of agriculture export zones, food parks and other hubs would be strengthened and upscale terminal markets and perishable centres at ports, railway hands and other exit points would be established.

Growth rate of agriculture and allied sectors of forestry and logging and fishing was highest during the Sixth Plan period from 1980 to 1985 at 5.7 per cent.

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