Govt must come up with productive agri policies: Farmers

Gagandeep Singh

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 18

Various farmers’ organisations have set their hopes high from the results of the elections. They want the new government to make some constructive policies to break the wheat-paddy cycle in farming.

Since the elections in Punjab were contested on the slogan of “Change”, farmers seem quit hopeful that the upcoming government would make some productive policies to get the farming sector out of deepening crisis.

Speaking on the issue, Sukhjinder Singh, a progressive farmer from Allowal village said the farmers had been trying hard get out of the crop cycle of wheat and paddy which is one of the major root causes for the farming crisis. Several farmers have tried to break it, but had to face consequences. He said after several campaigns by the Agriculture Department, farmers started the transplantation of the basmati; however they have stopped doing the same due to lack of minimum support price to basmati. The maize crop also faced the same fate.

“The government must announce the MSP of all other crops than wheat and paddy. The government should also make effort to enhance the marketing of the potato crop,” he added.

Kulwant Singh Sandhu, Zamhuri Kissan Sabha general secretary said the farming policies would remain the same regardless of the political scenario. Corporate houses want to take the system into their hands by minimising the government’s role. He said that breaking the crop cycle was the utmost need of the time and other crops should be purchased at competitive prices for that matter.

On the other hand, agriculture experts believe that there was no dearth in production of alternative crops like pulses and vegetables, yet due to lack of storage policies, farmers have to sell them on the spot that decreases the prices of such crops. Experts want the government to open up cold storages at villages and block level so that farmers could store their vegetable crop.