Contract farming to be a reality soon

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, December 5

Soon farmers will be able to lease their land for carrying out contract farming.

The effort is aimed at renewing interest in agriculture among farmers who have given up farming due to poor returns and also utilising the farm land of the people who may have migrated from their native places for other purposes.

Though, the state is governed by its own Agricultural Produce Marketing (Development and Regulation ) Act 2011, due to lack of guidelines, it could not be implemented.

“According to the guidelines, the contract in the form of a memorandum of understanding will be struck between farmers and private parties, who will be given licences by the Uttarakhand Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee,” said Dr Ranbir Singh, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Agriculture.

The contract farming can be carried out either by individuals or groups (companies), who will be issued licences after paying a fee of Rs 1,000.

“In Uttarakhand, the land holdings are small, the move to lease land for farming will help the farmers in the long run,” added Ranbir Singh.