Farm policy not to favour industrialists: Mayawati

Denying any favour to the Ambani brothers, UP Chief Minister Mayawati today said the new agriculture infrastructure and investment policy was aimed at benefiting only the farmers.

The policy gives the farmers the option to sell their crop outside the mandi yards operated by the UP State Agriculture Marketing Board.

"Our government is committed to improving the lot of the state farmers and to attribute any ulterior motive behind this is propaganda with malicious intent against the BSP-led government," said Mayawati.

She denied the opposition charge that the policy would compel the farmers to go for contract farming.

"The new contract farming system will be effective for sale/purchase of the agricultural produce only and the farmers will be free to sell/buy their produce in the open market," she said, adding that if the farmers do not get remunerative prices for their produce, they will be free to sell in the open market.

The policy eliminates middlemen in agriculture trade and aims to attract an investment of Rs 40, 000 crore by 2011 in the agriculture sector.

Mayawati said the farmers were compelled to sell their produce in the mandis of the APMC through aarthiyas, who exploited them. The new policy, she said, would provide the farmers a huge market free of middlemen and the elements trying to exploit them.