The Hindu : Karnataka News : ‘Declare agriculture as an industry'

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Monday, Aug 02, 2010
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Karnataka

Karnataka

‘Declare agriculture as an industry'

Special Correspondent

Guidelines sought to make sector more attractive

‘Farmers should revert to the old practice of indigenous seed production'
Centre should present farm budget every
year: Savadi

SEDAM (GULBARGA DISTRICT): The Bharatiya Janata Party Raitha Morcha has demanded that the Union Government declare agriculture as an industry and come out with comprehensive guidelines to make the sector more attractive and remunerative.

National president of the BJP Raitha Morcha Omprakash Dhankat, speaking at the executive committee meeting of the State unit of the morcha here on Sunday, stressed the need to attract unemployed youth to the profession.

Mr. Dhankat said that the Centre should come out with a comprehensive plan to develop agriculture into a profitable industry by encouraging direct investment.

He called for the creation of agriculture development corporations at the State-level to enable the transfer of technology from the laboratory to the farm land.

On the “overdependence” of farmers on seed companies to meet their seed requirements, Mr. Dhankat said farmers should revert to the old practice of indigenous seed production. Agriculture scientists should help farmers to produce good quality seeds to increase their yield and fight pest attacks, he added.

The morcha president suggested that farmers shift to organic farming methods to end their dependence on chemical fertilizers. He lauded the efforts of the State Government in promoting organic farming and allocating Rs. 300 crore towards the cause.

Agriculture policy

Cooperation Minister Lakshman Savadi said the Centre should come out with a national agriculture policy. A separate agriculture budget should be presented every year, he said.

Besides, he called for a uniform price on sugarcane throughout the country. Karnataka was not represented in the committee that fixed the minimum support price for agriculture commodities every year, he said, and urged the UPA Government to nominate a progressive farmer to the committee immediately.

Animal Husbandry Minister Revu Naik Belamgi, MP Ayanur Manjunath, State president of the morcha Sharanappa Gowda, general secretary Mahesh Patil, State general secretary of the BJP Raghunath Malkapure, HKDB Chairman Amarnath Patil and BJP district president Rajkumar Patil Telkur were among those present on the occasion.

Earlier, several progressive farmers were honoured for their achievements in the field of agriculture.

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