Karnataka - Bangalore   

State to achieve 4 per cent growth in agriculture

Bangalore: Despite serious challenges and several impediments, the State is confident of achieving 4 per cent growth in the agricultural sector during the 11th Five Year Plan, Principal Secretary to the Department of Agriculture A. Ramaswamy has said. He was speaking at the release of “Agri Doctors’ Diary 2008”, brought out by Karnataka Agriculture Graduate Officers’ Association of the department on Saturday.

The 11th Plan Document had warned that the country would be forced to witness a serious agrarian crisis if the problems in the agricultural sector were not addressed effectively. It is time to make concerted efforts to ensure increased food production, including pulses and oilseeds, balance the export and import situation and proportional utilisation of fertilisers that could help the conservation of quality soil, Mr. Ramaswamy added.

Defending the country’s agricultural policy, particularly in extending crop subsidies and financial assistance to farmers, he said it would be advisable to study the agricultural policies of the US and the European Union.

The US farmers had been getting an estimated 54 per cent subsidy on wheat production. The US government had evolved a warning system for regulating the prices of food grains. Even if farmers suffered losses, the US government would extend compensation to some extent. The EU had been extending 34 per cent subsidy on food crops. This policy had been helping the US and EC farmers earn handsome exports. The farmers’ plight in India was incomparable, he said.

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