Delivering the keynote address at a seminar on "Remunerative Farming", organised by Indian Peasants' Forum to mark the 113th birth anniversary of farmers' leader and late parliamentarian Acharya N G Ranga here, Jayaprakash stressed on the need for the government to act on "several fronts" to ensure fair and remunerative prices to farmers and promote rural rejuvenation and overall economic prosperity of the nation.
"Arbitrary, unreasonable trade controls and inconsistent and adhoc government policies have played havoc with farmers' lives. Adhoc farm export policies are completely ignoring the fundamental laws of economics governing demand, supply and price. We need to act on several fronts -- trade policies, warehousing, market access, value-addition, new technologies, price support and restructuring agricultural support," the bureaucrat-turned-politician said.
Pressing his case for abolition of controls, JP noted that food grain exports have been banned for years even as stocks were left to rot.
"Production was increasing and prices were falling. Because of uncertainty and adhocism, Indian rice is selling at a less price than comparable Thai rice. Every other week, there is a threat of arbitrary export quotas and reversal of decisions," he pointed out. (MORE)