Mumbai, Dec 31 (IANS): Newly appointed Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate has said the agriculture sector was passing through difficult times and needs to be helped through policy interventions by taking all stakeholders into confidence.
In an exclusive interview with IANS, Minister Kokate, who was elected from the Sinnar constituency on an NCP ticket, said a high-level experts committee will be soon established to study issues such as the rising mismatch between the cost of production and the income earned by farmers, higher prices of pesticides and fertilisers adding to the cost of production, lack of adequate post-harvest infrastructure, including processing units, pre-cooling and cold storage facilities and above all ensuring higher guaranteed price for agricultural produce. He further claimed that he would make all efforts to bring in transparency, and procedural simplicity by launching a single window system in the agriculture sector.
Kokate said, "Maharashtra’s Agriculture to GDP ratio is quite less due to various reasons, including the high cost of production, the impact of climate change on production and productivity and dip in the farmers’ income as they do not get the due price for their produce. The government will have to make policy decisions after a thorough study. For that, a one-window system will have to be launched in order to bring transparency and boost hassle-free implementation of various schemes meant for the agriculture sector. This will be possible after my meetings with the agriculture department officers and agriculture universities." He further added, "A high-level experts committee will be soon formed and the agriculture department will take necessary decisions based on its recommendations."
The Minister said, "There is also a mismatch between the cost of production and processing, therefore, the government will have to step up efforts for the installation of more processing units. This is applicable to cotton and other crops. How to reduce the cost of production, say in the case of onion, how to reduce it to Rs 700 from the present Rs 1,500 per acre. This will help the onion farmers to save Rs 800 per acre. Besides, the government will step up efforts to provide higher guaranteed prices for crops."
He admitted that spiralling prices of pesticides and fertilizers is another issue confronted by the farmers as this results in a substantial rise in the cost of production. "The prices of pesticides and fertilisers have shot up by 2 to 5 per cent putting additional burden on the farmers. Besides, the spurt in fake companies and suppliers has added to their woes. The government will initiate stern action against it. I am aware there have been five bills presented in the state legislature in the past proposing stern action against the supply of adulterated pesticides and fertilisers to the farmers especially by fake and bogus companies and suppliers. I will have to speak with CM and Dy CMs for the presentation of these bills again in the state legislature as they will have to be taken up before the cabinet for its approval. It will take some time but my effort will be to expedite this entire process," he remarked.
The Minister further said that the cost of production also increases due to a sharp rise in the daily wages of agricultural labourers and also due to GST ranging between 5 per cent and 18 per cent payable by the farmers on various agricultural inputs and equipment. GST rates are concerned with the Centre and they need to be taken up for revision.
Kokate, who comes from the largest onion-growing Nashik district, said the state and the Central government will have to work together to help the onion farmers who get affected due to sudden decisions. "In the case of onion farming, almost 50 per cent of powers are wrested with the Central government as it makes decisions relating to increase or decrease in minimum export price or impose restrictions on export and import and relax them. These decisions are taken depending on the onion prices. My effort will be how to craft a new policy to help onion farmers after discussing it with the Centre. I cannot proceed further without discussing this with the Centre as the Central government cannot chalk out a policy exclusively for Maharashtra. The policy will have to be at the national level," he added.
Commenting on the damage caused to agriculture due to unseasonal rain in various districts of Maharashtra in December, Kokate said, "I have gathered inputs about the damage from the district administration and also from my department and the agriculture commissioner’s office. I spoke to district collectors and agriculture department officers who are of the view that unseasonal rain is quite beneficial for a few crops while for others it is harmful. The cracking of grapes in grape orchards is not seen immediately but is known after two to three days. A preliminary report has been sent to the state government about the unseasonal rains and the damage caused by it. The cracking report will be sent soon and thereafter the government will take necessary steps to help the farmers."
On the allegations of Crop Insurance mafia in Beed district made by BJP legislator Suresh Dhas, the minister said that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has taken a serious note and assured the state legislature about stern action. "I am also aware of the irregularities in the implementation of crop insurance schemes. I want to state here that Parli (in Beed district) does not mean the entire Maharashtra. Dhas has alleged irregularities in a few cases during the implementation of the farmers' insurance scheme but these charges have yet to be probed. Why other legislators did not bring to the government’s notice similar lapses from their respective constituencies? There are complaints about the crop insurance scheme in other districts but that will have to be thoroughly probed. Corrective actions will be taken to further streamline the implementation of the crop insurance scheme in the state," he observed.
The Minister said that he is a strong advocate of the transfer of all benefits of schemes to the farmers through DBT, adding that it will be further strengthened to avoid any irregularities and scams.
On the lack of cooperation between the agriculture department and the agriculture commissionerate, Kokate said that he would expect proper coordination in the speedy implementation of government decisions. "In the case of shortcomings, the government will step in to initiate action against the concerned officers. I would expect result-oriented performance from the teams led by the agriculture secretary and the agriculture commissioner," he added.