Page 35 - 15MAR2019E

AGRICULTURE

• Farming also said that about 10,000 crore ru- the main reasons why they want to percentage of farmers complained
gains Farmers pees worth of projects for the devel- give up farming. Around 18 percent of repeated losses; 70 percent of
may now avail opment of Gorakhpur and Eastern of respondents surveyed said it was respondents said their crops were
credit up to Uttar Pradesh have been either in- because of family pressure that they destroyed because of unseasonal
1.60 lakh, augurated, or the foundation stone are continuing with farming. The rains, drought, floods and pest at-
through Kisan laid for them, today. He said these survey of 5,000 farm households tack. The report says that the ben-
Credit Cards projects will improve ease of living. across 18 states says that 76 percent efits of government schemes and
He said that schemes such as PM of farmers would prefer to do some policies are being mostly given to
AwaasYojana, UjjwalaYojana, Ayush- work other than farming. Sixty-one big farmers having landholding of
man Bharat etc are symbolic of the percent of these farmers would pre- 10 acres (4.05 hectare) and above.
spirit of SabkaSaath, SabkaVikas. fer to be employed in cities because Only 10 percent of poor and small
The scheme comes on the heels of better education, health and em- farmers with average land holding
of farm loan waivers worth 1.9 tril- ployment avenues there. A high of 1-4 acres (0.4 to 1.6 ha) have ben-
lion given by 8 State Governments efited from government schemes
amidst protests by farmers. It all be- and subsidies. The farmers blamed
gan with Uttar Pradesh where the the state and Central govern-
BJP had announced during the As- During the last ments for their present condition
sembly elections that it would waive budget, the as 74 percent of those interviewed
off the loans. Maharashtra followed alleged they do not get any farming-
suit. Then Punjab, Karnataka, and government had related information from officials
Rajasthan followed. The latest waiv- vowed to provide of the agriculture department.
ers were announced after Congress The survey shows that 62 percent
formed governments defeating the 6,000 per annum of interviewed farmers were not
BJP in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and to farmers with aware of the minimum support
Madhya Pradesh. price (MSP) and among those who
However, despite this sops, the certain riders. A have heard about MSP, 64 percent
farm sector continues to suffer. A were not satisfied with the price
study “State of Indian Farmers” by month later, it government offers. The study com-
the Centre for Study of Develop- has sent the first missioned by Bharat Krishak Samaj
ing Societies (CSDS) has found that (BKS), a non-political association of
given an option majority of farm- installment of farmers, has come at the time when
ers in the country would prefer to 2000 each to one the country is going to polls.
take up some other work. Poor in-
come, bleak future, and stress are crore farmers letters@tehelka.com

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