The Odisha Krushak Mahasangha on Wednesday demanded that the State Government adopt a realistic agriculture policy soon in order to extend all support to farmers and to alleviate continued problem of skyrocketing of vegetable and pulses prices.
“Farmers are suffering from distress sale of their produces such as vegetables, tubers and pulses due to non-availability of cold storages. Besides, they are taking least interest to grow potato, onion and vegetables as these are being damaged due to low and sporadic rains and pest attacks. The Government should take these two major problems seriously and make aid provisions for farmers,” demanded Mahasangha president Bibhudhendra Pratap Das.
Das lamented that though the mahasanga has suggested measures 14 times to the Government since the year 2002, yet the Government has not paid any heed to it.
He suggested that the Government encourage private persons to set up cold storages and food processing units at their respective localities by providing loans to them at a low interest rate. Besides, taxes should be waived on purchase of solar power equipment and rent-free Government land should be provided to them.
“About 35 per cent of vegetable produced in Odisha is rotting due to lack of storage facility. The quantum of onion produced in ten districts can meet the State’s need for a whole year if there will be cold storages,” he pointed out, adding that neighboring States are taking advantage of this lacunae and making huge profits by storing produces and selling them to Odisha people during off seasons.
To protect crops and pulses damages due to scanty rainfall and pest attacks, Das said every village be taken as a unit to provide crop insurance to farmers.
Besides, he pointed out that farmers are not getting labouers to undertake their cultivation properly due to introduction Rs1-a-kg rice scheme. Most of farmers have quit cultivating pulses for which prices of dal has skyrocketed. If the Government deposit the subsidy amount in beneficiaries bank accounts, this problem would be solved, he suggested.