Agriculture sector facing neglect, says Anurag Thakur

Our Correspondent

Una, July 24

Anurag Thakur, BJP MP, today called for bridging the gap between farmers and agriculture scientists. He was speaking at a district-level seminar on the Prime Minister’s Crop Insurance scheme at the Krishi Vigyan Kendra.

The MP said farmers were gradually switching to other sources of livelihood. He said the agriculture sector was being neglected.

He said the crop insurance scheme initiated by the Prime Minister had addressed the farmers’ woes regarding the damage to crops due to natural calamities. MP said the farmers had to pay a low premium of 1.5 to 2 per cent of the sum assured, while the remaining cost would be borne by the state and the Centre.

He said the scheme covers maize and paddy crops, but pulses, oil seeds and vegetables would also be brought under the purview of the scheme. Thakur said the premium would be 0.8 per cent of the sum assured for the district. Urging the farmers to adopt crop diversification programmes, he said farmers should take advantage of the government schemes instead of seeking other jobs.

SS Kanwar, Director (Research) at the Agriculture University, Palampur; Dr AR khan, In-charge of the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Una; and Jaspal Singh, representative of Agriculture Insurance Company Ltd, answered the queries of farmers. Thakur also advocated steps to check the increasing population. he MP, along with state BJP president Satpal Singh Satti and Kutlehar MLA Virender Kanwar, strolled around the stalls at the seminar.