Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Farm resurgence fund to help farmers increase productivity

Special Correspondent

UDF recommendations on farm sector find place in Budget

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The recommendations of the UDF sub-committee on agriculture has found a prominent position in Finance Minister Vakkom Purushothaman's Budget speech, the highlight of this being the Rs.1,000 pension for traditional farmers.

The Finance Minister has allocated to Rs.10 crores for the agriculture pension scheme envisaging a payment of Rs.1,000 a year as pension in half- yearly instalments to the head of the family of farmers whose land holding is less than one hectare on attainment of 60 years and for whom agriculture has been a livelihood with salary or pension.

The Finance Minister has allocated Rs.18 crores for the development of paddy cultivation, envisaging schemes for the infrastructure development of padasekharams, besides extending paddy cultivation to 25,000 hectares of wasteland.

Rs.50 crores for subsidy

He said the Government was planning to introduce an "agricultural resurgence fund to help farmers increase productivity by adopting modern technology. He has earmarked Rs.50 crores for giving subsidy for replanting existing cardamom and pepper plantations with hybrid varieties.

Coconut development would get Rs.10.23 crores under a scheme with the Central Coconut Development Board's assistance to tackle root wilt disease, distribution of quality saplings, integrated manuring and improvement of facilities.

The other schemes that have attracted the Finance Minister's attention include a Rs.3.50 crores for watershed development programme and

Rs.2 crores for promoting organic farmers in pepper, paddy and fruits.

A compensation of Rs.100 per tree would be given to cut and remove arecanut-infected with yellow leaf disease.

In a statement here, Revenue Minister K. M. Mani, who headed the UDF panel, said the farmers' pension scheme was a recognition to the farming community in the State.

He welcomed the decision on providing subsidy to vanilla, and earmarking funds for the Meenachil river valley project.

The sops on stamp duty for partition deeds etc. was also welcome, the Revenue Minister added.

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