Farmers Movement Archive

Took step back on farm reforms, step forward soon: Union agri min

Nagpur: Union agriculture minister Narendrasingh Tomar said the government may have certainly taken a step backwards on the three farm laws but would soon take a step forward in the direction. At the inauguration of Agrovision exhibition, Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari exhorted farmers (anna-datas) to become urja-datas and grow crops to make ethanol for transport vehicles. “Both religion and farming are prime to India. Knowing its importance the prime minister has taken a number of steps to promote farming,” he said. The three farms laws were the first fundamental reforms initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, however, it was not liked by some. The government is not disheartened after the laws had to be withdrawn, he said. The minister said the government would come up with measures that would ultimately benefit farmers. However, when asked by journalists, Tomar remained evasive on the likelihood of a law guaranteeing Minimum Support Price (MSP). Tomar also evaded an answer to a question on the timeline for setting up the proposed committee that would deal with making MSP regime more effective, natural farming and crop diversification. This was part of the announcement made following withdrawal of the three controversial farm laws to end the farmers’ strike. Tomar also praised Gadkari, saying that his efforts have led to removal of the tag of drought and unemployment prone region for Vidarbha. The minister was in the city to inaugurate the Agrovision farm expo patronized by Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari. Gadkari also mentioned the three farm laws. They could not happen due to politics, he said. Stressing on how doing away with middlemen helps, he said, vegetables grown in his farm directly go to a store in Pratap Nagar locality of the city. There is no need to pay any commission to a middleman. “Customers specifically ask if vegetables from my farm are there and buy them,” he said. Gadkari said his sons have floated a company that would be allotting pumps for ethanol. Majority of the automobile companies have agreed to make flexi engines, which can run on both petroleum and ethanol. Making a push for ethanol as alternate fuel, he said sugar production is already in surplus. This time, farmers were saved due to the demand created on account of a drought in Brazil. The situation may not be the same always, he said. If making sugar becomes less profitable, ethanol can be the option, which can substitute petroleum fuel, he said.

The Times of India

2021-12-25

Nagpur