The Hindu Business Line : Farmers' body to be involved in Africa mission

The Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, releasing a souvenir at the annual day celebrations of the Federation of Farmers Associations at FAPCCI Bhavan in Hyderabad on Monday. Dr M. Sitarama Swamy, State President of FFA, is seen at right. - K. Ramesh Babu

Hyderabad , April 18

THE State Government has decided to take farmers' associations into confidence in evolving the plan to send farmers to some of the African countries to take up large-scale farming.

Addressing the annual day of Federation of Farmers' Associations (FFA-AP) here on Monday, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, Chief Minister, asked the association to study the feasibility of the plan and get back to the Government with their suggestions.

He also asked the association to depute a team to study the practical difficulties that might arise.

He said the free power scheme was being streamlined to make it more effective. About 95 per cent of the farmers would be benefited.

Dr Reddy said that contribution of agriculture to GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) had declined to 13 per cent in 2004 from 26.5 per cent a decade ago.

The FFA, in a memorandum submitted on Monday, appealed to the Chief Minister to involve farmers in the management of irrigation projects. This would help in better management of water.

Referring to the free power scheme, the association felt that the move to bar rich farmers from the scheme was hurting medium farmers.

They also found fault with excluding those farmers who were under income-tax net for their business or contract ventures.

"They do business or take up contract works due to low agricultural incomes. It doesn't mean that they are earning lakhs of rupees," Dr Maganti Sitarama Swamy, President of FFA (AP), said in the memorandum.

He also asked the Chief Minister to convene a meeting of sugarcane growers with the Minister for Sugar to discuss their problems.

"The Government should announce advisory price for sugar for 2004-05 and talk to managements of sugar factories to enforce the price," he said.

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