Kharif loan for farmers by July 31
Expressbuzz, July 10, 2009
BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has decided to extend kharif loan to the farmers by July 31.
This was announced in the Assembly today by Agriculture Minister Damodar Rout while replying to the discussion on the agriculture and cooperation departments’ budget for 2009-10.
The Minister said Rs 1500 crore kharif loan will be provided to the farmers at an interest rate of five per cent while Rs 1000 crore has been earmarked for provision of loan during the rabi season. Rout said Rs 300 crore will be provided as term loans to the farmers.
He, however, alleged that even though the State Government has initiated several steps for development of the agriculture sector in the State, the required cooperation from the Centre is lacking. He said though Orissa has a surplus foodgrains of 9.13 lakh tonne, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) is not interested to lift the surplus amount. They are more interested to serve the needs of the farmers of Haryana and Punjab, he added.
Rout said foodgrains production has touched 87.31 lakh tonne in 2008-09 while the rice production has gone up to 70.13 lakh tonne in the year. Though pulses production has doubled in the State, it is still short of requirement by 88,000 tonne.
Criticising the Centre for ignoring the fertiliser demand of the farmers in the State, Rout said as requirement of 70,000 tonne in July only 32,750 tonne has been released.
However, despite this the State has marched ahead in the agriculture sector as has been evident in the distribution of certified seeds.
He added that seed distribution will reach five lakh quintal in 2008-09.
Seed village programme has been grounded in every blocks and seeds sale centres are being opened in every panchayat through private participation, he said, adding that seed processing plants will be set up in all the 30 districts for benefit of the farmers.
Observing that market linkages is important in the sector, the Minister announced that the Agriculture Marketing Board will be revamped to cater to the needs of the farmers. Besides, the unemployed agri-entrepreneurs are being promoted to establish commercial agri-enterprises in the agriculture and allied sectors. During the last five years, 976 persons have been provided with the entrepreneurship development training by spending Rs 23 lakh, he said.
Rout added a new college of horticulture at Chiplima in Sambalpur district has started functioning in 2008-09 and from the 2009- 10 academic session a new college of agriculture will start functioning at Bhawanipatna.
Besides, a veterinary college will be opened near Khurda with investments from nonresident Indians (NRIs).
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