Commission to ensure judicious price for farm produce: Bharath Lal Meena

Mangalore, Aug 16: Getting scientific price for the yield has always been a problem for our farmers. However, with an aim of fetching the best possible price for the farm produces and to prevent the exploitation of the farmers, the State government will constitute an 'Agriculture Prices Commission' to fix scientific price for agriculture crops grown by the farmers.

Principal Secretary of Agriculture Department and District in-charge Secretary Bharath Lal Meena informing about the same during an interaction with the farmers and other stakeholders, organised by the Apna Desh Association, Zilla Panchayat, Agriculture and Watershed department here on Friday, said that the Commission will make a study on agriculture crops and will decide and announce scientific price for the crops.

Mr Meena further said that the farmers could even form a co-operative to sell their produce, instead of depending on other vehicles of marketing the produce.

Responding to a suggestion given by Pilikula Science Centre Director Dr K V Rao that separate outlets should be opened to market organic produces, Mr Meena said that first of all, organic farmers need to be certified and in this direction the Government of Karnataka has entered into a MoU with Uttarkhand. However, he stressed upon the need to pull in private players to set up organic counters to sell agri produces.

The Principal Secretary said that the Government will soon provide subsidy to purchase mini tractors. He said that organisations and societies could come forth to purchase harvest machines, for which Government will extend subsidy.

Agri-Park

Talking about the need to popularise agriculture and farming among the younger generation, Prabhakar, a farmer from Belthangady said that setting up agriculture park in every taluk will serve as a big steps in taking agriculture to the youth of today.

"The agri-park must showcase farming as an professional arena for the youth and all modern aspects of hi-tech farming must be displayed there so as to make it interesting and alluring for the youth," he said.

MGNREGS ombudsman Sheena Shetty, Mangalore University NSS coordinator Prof Vinitha, Zilla Panchayat CEO Tulasi Maddineni, Central Relief Committee Secretary Dr Raja Nayak were present.