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Low-cost, holistic farming systems needed: farmers

Special Correspondent

JAIPUR: Farmers' organisations of Rajasthan on Monday called for adoption of low-cost and low-risk holistic farming systems involving indigenous wisdom and labour to create employment opportunities in the rural areas and benefit small and marginal farmers. They said farmers should be empowered to ensure their own food and livelihood security.

In an "11-point Agricultural Agenda for the Eleventh Plan'' submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the eve of a crucial meeting of the National Development Council scheduled for Tuesday in New Delhi, the farmers affirmed that the "aam admi'' (common man) of the farming community needed Government support to avert desperation and suicide forced by no-holds-barred industrial inputs and genetically modified crops.

The agenda demanded that Government funds and resources be earmarked to farmers in proportion to their percentage in the rural population to honour the UPA Government's Common Minimum Programme. "Expropriating farmers' land for SEZs and providing huge fiscal incentives to their promoters will inevitably lead to marginalisation of the farming community and growth of armed insurgence,'' it warned. The organisations which prepared the agenda include Kisan Seva Samiti Mahasangh, Phagi; Gram Chetana Kendra, Renwal; Upkaar Sansthan, Thanaghazi; Gramin Vikas Evum Paryavaran Sansthan, Dausa; Lok Kalyan Sansthan, Barmer; and the Centre for Community Economics and Development Consultants' Society (CECOEDECON), Jaipur.

CECOEDECON Deputy Director Krishna Kumar said since farmers were keen to adopt holistic farming system, the Planning Commission, the Central Government and leaders of political parties would be failing in their duty if they did not take urgent action to halt the mindless promotion of GM and green revolution technology (GRT) agriculture.

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