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The Congress is hoping to woo farmers, who polls show are tilting towards the Bharatiya Janata Party, with a host of proposals, including one on individual crop insurance.
The party, which is drawing up its manifesto, believes a law on agricultural risk protection will be a boon, especially to small farmers.
The Congress’ manifesto committee headed by Defence Minister A K Antony is slated to meet on March 16. The deadline for final approval of the document is March 21.
The Congress had tasted success in 2009 with a farm loan waiver and is hoping to replicate that with crop insurance. The party proposes to bring in a law to provide risk protection ranging from 25 to 50 per cent to individual farmers.
It also plans to offer institutional credit to 60 per cent of farmers. Of the country’s 130 million farmers, only 40 per cent have access to formal credit.
The party is likely to push public-private partnership in quality certification, supply chains, warehouses and cold storage. The Congress has argued the move to allow foreign supermarkets into the country is in the farmers’ interest as less food will spoil between the farm and the kitchen.
Overall, the party plans to modernise Indian agriculture.
Reaching out to women and small farmers, the Congress intends to provide interest-free loans of Rs 5 lakh to women’s collectives. The party may also promise every village household access to drinking water. One in two households in the countryside get drinking water now.
