'Resource crunch impedes Swaminathan panel report implementation'

The implementation of the Swaminathan Committee report, which was one of the major poll promises and a highlight of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Lok Sabha elections, may remain only a wishful thinking as no preparations are being made by the authorities to implement it.

In a press meet in Chandigarh on Thursday, a senior BJP leader and agriculture minister of Haryana, Om Prakash Dhankar, said there might be many challenges in implementation of the report because it would be a huge financial burden on the government. The National Commission on Farmers, headed by M S Swaminathan, recommended a holistic national policy for the farmers that encompasses access to resources and social security entitlements besides land reforms, irrigation, food security and farmers' competitiveness.

"I was the driving force for incorporating this issue in the election manifesto and we will definitely implement it whenever the resources are available. The resource crunch at present may not allow to implement it immediately," said Dhankar.

Haryana and Punjab are the major procuring states for the country's public distribution system. Any decision on the minimum support price (MSP) would benefit the farmers of these two states. There has been a modest revision of four to five per cent in the MSP of wheat and paddy. The farmer organisations have been demanding a raise in the MSP that is equivalent to inflation rate. When in opposition, BJP assured the farmers to fight for their rights. The minister, on the contrary, was speaking in a different tone.

He also remained silent over the issue of distress selling of basmati rice in Haryana. The price of basmati dropped by 20% to 25% this season (kharif 2014) due to higher supplies. The state government failed to intervene to safeguard the interests of farmers.

He apprised that the state would host an Agriculture Leadership Summit in February 2015 in Gurgaon to take the feedback of various stakeholders on how to make agriculture more remunerative. Dhankar added the remuneration of farmers can be raised by recycling the sub-standard grains and strengthening the agriculture value chain.

Only 7% of the total farming accounts for horticulture in Haryana. Haryana has an easy access to National Capital Region (NCR) for fresh fruits, vegetables and ornamental flowers. The state government is devising better schemes to encourage farmers to diversify to horticulture to earn higher income.