Govt does not favour ban on maize exports: Pawar

Plans to give one-time waiver to small farmers on loan default.

Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today said the government had no plan as of now to ban exports of maize.

"We have received requests to ban maize exports... I am not in favour of the ban," Pawar told reporters on the sidelines of a farm meet. Maize futures had fallen sharply earlier this week on talk the government is likely to ban maize exports.

The minister said the current cold wave in the north would be beneficial for the wheat crop. "It would be good if the current weather continues for a few more days and even better if it is accompanied by rains."

On Madhya Pradesh government's complaints on red wheat being supplied to the state under the public distribution scheme, Pawar said the grievances were unfair.

Madhya Pradesh is the fourth largest wheat producer in the country. It requires about 1.3 million tonnes of the food grain from the central pool for PDS and other schemes. The state's contribution to the central grain kitty last year, however, was a meagre 50,000 tn.

"If state governments do not like the wheat supplied to them, they are free to import wheat on their own," the minister said. He said the central government was willing to shoulder the difference between the cost of imported wheat and its subsidised price.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had on Tuesday met Pawar, seeking better quality wheat from the Centre.

Credit plan
Pawar said the government was considering a proposal to give a one-time waiver to small farmers, who have defaulted on farm loans. He said the move will benefit small and marginal farmers, who cannot avail credit as they have defaulted on existing loans.

"If the proposal comes through, it will benefit over 80 per cent of small and marginal farmers," Pawar said.

Separately, a government official said the waiver, if approved, is expected to cost over Rs 65,000 crore.