The Hindu Business Line : `Tap global agri market potential to help farmers'

THE former Prime Minister, Mr H.D. Deve Gowda, has stressed the need for exploring the potential of world agriculture market for the benefit of Indian farmers.

Addressing members of Mangalore Agriculturists' Souharda Sahakari (MASS) Ltd here on Saturday, he said, "We should study the agriculture markets in foreign countries and identify the commodities required for them.

"We have to cultivate them after analysing the demand for those commodities. This will help reduce overproduction of a particular commodity and subsequent fall in its prices."

Stating that Indian agriculturists have to compete with others in a free world market, Mr Gowda said such a system will benefit Indians a lot. It will also help bring in more foreign exchange.

Though every finance minister claims his budget a `dream budget', but no dream of farmers has come true in these budgets. Budgets have shown least concern for villages and agriculturists.

Urging the Centre to give up the tendency of `allocating funds on considerations', he said there is a need for sea change in Indian economic policy.

Over-attention for a particular sector such as information technology is not good for the development of the country. Equal attention for all sectors will help in the overall development of the country, he said.

Expressing concern over the politicisation of co-operative sector, he said there should be an amendment to the Act. It should bar politics in co-operative institutions. Many co-operative institutions are not doing well because of political interventions.

He said that increase in the sales volumes of fast-moving consumer goods in villages should not be a criterion for the determination of the health of rural economy. Instead, one should look at the rate of Indian rural population suffering from malnutrition. Policymakers should consider this issue, he added.

The MASS President, Mr Sridhar Bhide, who presided over the function, urged the Karnataka Government to declare minimum support price for arecanut. MASS, which has arecanut sales depots in Gujarat, is planning to open them in Maharashtra also, he added.

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`Tap global agri market potential to help farmers'