| "The cost of dairy equipment will immediately come down by five per cent. We expected this Budget to come out with a lot of pro-farmer policies. Increased farm credit and tax concessions for the agro-processing industry will lead to higher availability of working capital," said B M Vyas, managing director, Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation. |
| The Rs 4,500 crore food processing industry has given a thumbs up to Chidambaram's proposed incentives to farmers and the agro-processing industry, calling it a big step in the right direction. |
| "This is definitely a pro-agriculture Budget. The finance minister has not levied any excise duty on processed food and there are a lot of incentives for new investments in the sector," said Amit Burman, chief executive officer, Dabur Foods. |
| The finance minister has set a target of doubling horticultural output by 2012 and announced setting up of a national co-operative mission. He has also cut excise duty on processed meat, poultry and fish from 16 per cent to eight per cent. |
| Harsh Mariwala, chairman, Marico Industries, said the finance minister has given an overall direction for agriculture to grow faster, but a lot depended on implementation of policies. |
| "Farmers can get a much better deal for his produce and, with incentives to food processing, ultimately it is the end-consumer who will have a wider choice at a lower cost," said Vikram Bakshi, managing director of McDonalds India (north). |
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