Other States - Rajasthan   

Farmers' rallies to create awareness

Special Correspondent

Demand for protection of domestic farm produces by ensuring remunerative prices

JAIPUR: A series of farmers' meetings and rallies will be organised at village and block levels in 13 districts of Rajasthan during the next fortnight as part of the second phase of the "Make trade fair'' campaign, with the demand for protection of domestic farm produces by ensuring remunerative prices and increasing import duty on items such as palm oil.

The campaign is directed against alleged inequities in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreement, economic liberalisation and opening of the agriculture sector to corporate entities. Farmers and activists participating in the awareness generation drive will especially raise the issue of inability of the minimum support price to protect the mustard crops in Rajasthan.

Representatives of Kisan Seva Samiti Mahasangh and other non-Government organisations told reporters here on Monday that the MSP for mustard had increased only by Rs. 15 between 1991 and 2005. They affirmed that the Central and State governments had failed to protect indigenous crops such as mustard, garlic, bajra, rice and soybean and left the farmers to the mercy of market forces.

The Mahasangh's general secretary, Bhagwan Sahay, took exception to Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje talking about "alternative crops'' during her visit to Israel, which he said could not provide a solution to the current agrarian crisis. "Ms. Raje has underlined the need in Israel to take up farming of crops consuming less water. The farmers in the desert State have been practising this for generations,'' he said. The farmers regretted that those responsible for policy formulation in agriculture sector were ignorant of the real issues confronting the rural population.

This, they felt, had led to an increase in input costs and near total lack of remunerative prices for the farm produce. Mr. Sahay pointed out that nearly 60 per cent of mustard was still unsold in the State and unseasonal rains in some districts had destroyed the stocks.

He said this was an explicit instance of farmers being neglected by the Government, as opposed to heavy subsidies enjoyed by farmers in the developed countries.

Deputy Director of the Centre for Community Economics and Development Consultants' Society, Krishna Kumar, affirmed that the WTO pact, in the garb of creating a global market, had led to inequities putting the indigenous farmers at a disadvantage. "Make trade fair'' campaign will highlight the impact of WTO and globalisation on various sections of population through different activities till May 30.

The campaign has aslo been taken up in M.P., Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra as well.

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