Punjab to host the next 'Global Summit on Agriculture'

Says summit would prove to be a milestone in setting up new parameters for the farmers to maximise their profits by adopting emerging farm practices on scientific lines

Addressing the delegates, progressive farmers, agriculture scientists and experts from across the world on the inaugural session of three-day Global Summit in Gandhinagar(Gujarat), Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Monday announced to host the next 'Global Summit on Agriculture' in Punjab in February, 2014.

Appreciating this summit, Badal said he would not only be eagerly waiting to receive the recommendations of the summit, but also follow them up meticulously. He said the summit would prove to be a milestone in setting up new parameters for the farmers to maximise their profits by adopting emerging farm practices on scientific lines. He also hoped that this platform would offer some concrete solutions to the problems confronted by the farmers in order to improve their economic lot.

He said such a forum must encourage inter-state exchange of farmers, experts, agriculture scientists, agriculture extension workers for better understanding and sharing of experience in the latest practices and innovations in farming.

Putting forth a slew of suggestions during the deliberations in the summit, Badal said that the lopsided policies of the central government should be changed to ensure profitable level of income to the farmers. The farmers should be given greater input subsidy and support for agriculture infrastructure development and mechanisation.

Remunerative market prices should be given not only for wheat and paddy, but also for other crops. The first step towards this was the acceptance of the Swaminathan formula of fixing the minimum support price, which covers cost of production and a margin of 50 per cent to the farmers. As further growth in agriculture would be possible only with new technology, the central government should invest heavily in research and development in agriculture and allied sectors, added Badal.

Badal also demanded that the Commission for Agriculture Costs and Prices (CACP) should be declared as a statutory authority to enable it to function with full autonomy for making recommendations with regard to hike in the MSP of various crops so that the farmers could get remunerative prices of their produce.

At present, the CACP is merely a recommendatory authority which was working under the direct influence of Ministry of Agriculture, GoI and the final say for the fixation of MSP lies with the central government on the further recommendations of Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.