Waive off all farm loans: BKU to Govt

Dissatisfied with the budgetary announcements, farmers body Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) today asked the government to waive off all farm loans and pay higher minimum support price for crops to give a boost to the agriculture sector.
The BKU is also going to hold a 'mahapanchayat' here on March 17 to protest and submit their formal demands to the government.
"Farmers should be paid fair remunerative prices with 50 per cent more margin over the cost of cultivation. As it was promised by the BJP in its election manifesto," BKU National Spokesperson Rakesh Tikait told reporters here.
Farmers are still committing suicides in the country and even the numbers are on the rise, BKU said, adding, the increasing debt burden is the main reason for this.

"Keeping in view the agrarian distress in the country, there should be a total debt waiver on all kinds of farm loans and there should be zero-interest credit ensured for the next five years," Tikait added.
He said a comprehensive policy is needed to tackle unseasonal rains and drought situations and there should be adequate relief funds set aside for the purpose.

Tikait also called for fixing of minimum assured income for farmers by the farmers income commission.
"...The government should ensure that a farm household's income is not less than the income of a fourth grade employee," he added.

On the revised Crop Insurance Scheme, the BKU said there would be no substantive benefits to farmers from the cosmetic changes made to the scheme.
"Just by the reduction in premium rates, the scheme is not going to prove beneficial," Tikait said.
He further said that the December 2015 Ministerial of the WTO in Nairobi witnessed the failure of the Indian government in securing any permanent solution to food security issues.
"Due to pressure from developed countries, India is not even able to bring our pertinent issues to the table. Agricultural imports are impacting farm livelihoods adversely and farm suicides are on the rise," he added.