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Farmers seek priority to agriculture in Eleventh Five-Year Plan

— Photo: T. Singaravelou

MORAL SUPPORT: CPI national council member R.Viswanathan addressing ‘the farmers’ right to live’ conference in Puducherry on Thursday.

PUDUCHERRY: The ‘Farmers right to live conference’ conducted by the Puducherry Vivasayigal Sangam on Thursday urged the government to give priority to the farm sector while allocating funds in the 2008-2009 budget.

General secretary of the sangam T.Geethanathan said the conference, which was inaugurated by Minister for Agriculture V.Vaithilingam, also adopted resolutions calling for steps to change the name of the Department of Agriculture as Department of Farmers’ Welfare.

The conference stressed the need for giving priority to the agricultural sector in the XI Five Year Plan as recommended by the National Commission for Agriculture headed by agriculture scientist M.S.Swaminathan.

These issues would be discussed at length at the national convention of farmers in New Delhi on October 30, he added.The sangam, in a memorandum submitted to Mr.Vaithilingam, pleaded for disbursement of fertilizer subsidy directly to the farmers.

It also urged the government to give up the practice of acquiring house sites and farm lands for the purpose of setting up special economic zones.

The sangam asked the government to fix the procurement price for sugarcane as Rs.1,500 a tonne and for paddy as Rs.1,000 a quintal. It also demanded free power supply for agriculturists and 90 per cent subsidy on diesel supplied to the farmers owning tractors.

It called for immediate steps to disburse Rs. 2,000 per acre as incentive for farmers who had switched to alternative crops and Rs. 3,000 per hectare as incentive to the paddy cultivators.

The conference also adopted resolutions highlighting issues related to supply of fodder for calves, 10 per cent Deepavali bonus for milk producers, setting up of a separate welfare board for coconut farmers and maintenance of all waterbodies in the Union Territory.

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