Nothing much for agriculture

Zero-budget farming is yet to establish its economic viability

The 2019-20 Budget failed to impress farmers because it lacked any significant announcement for the agriculture sector. Though the Budget proposes building rural infrastructure to woo private investment in farm and allied activities such as dairy, fisheries and agro-processing, there is hardly any fresh proposal directed to tackle distress. Pressing issues like access to remunerative prices, reduction in indebtedness, especially the high-cost loans from the informal sector (moneylenders), stability in domestic and ex­­ternal trade policies, and the much-needed structural reforms in land, marketing and other key areas have mostly been glossed over or mentioned in passing.
 
The two main