Loan waivers not panacea for all farm woes, says Pawar

Loan waivers are not a permanent solution to the problems being faced by farmers, NCP president Sharad Pawar said today and called for making agriculturists financially sound.
He advised farmers to adopt new seeds to increase production and demanded profitable prices for their produce.
"The farming community is the only one which remains restless until the last rupee of a loan is repaid," said the former Union agriculture minister.
Pawar was speaking after being felicitated for completing 50 years in electoral politics at an all-party function here.
He said the government should provide good quality seeds to farmers and make sure they get better prices for their agri produce.

Maintaining that loan waivers were not a permanent solution for farm distress and the agrarian crisis, Pawar said cultivators need to be strengthened financially.

In June, the Maharashtra government had announced a farm loan waiver of more than Rs 34,000 crore.
"It is essential to boost their confidence," the former chief minister said.
Pawar called for prosecuting those selling spurious pesticides and seeds. He, however, advised farmers not to oppose new variety of seeds, saying "they are essential to boost production".
Leaders from the Congress, NCP, Shiv Sena, BJP and RPI, among others, attended the event.