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National task force, commodity futures, exports, IT figure in PM's boost-agriculture plan

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today unveiled a five-point programme to give a major boost to food processing and agro-based businesses in the country.

The programme includes strengthening of the commodity futures market, framing a national rural cooperative policy, promotion of farm exports, creation of a Small Farmers Agro-business Consortium and application of information technology in agriculture and agro-business for boosting efficiency in production and marketing.

He also announced the setting up of a high-level national task force on food processing and agro-industries management policy headed by Union Agriculture Minister Som Pal.

Inaugurating the Agro-Advantage Maharashtra convention in Bombay, the prime minister said that the task force will comprise representatives of all states, agricultural universities, agriculture experts, farmers and members of the business community. The task force will submit an action plan to the government for adoption of various policy measures.

The task-force will submit detailed recommendations within the next three months on a five-pronged strategy to boost agriculture sector in the country.

Vajpayee said that the SFAC which was on paper for the last six years, will act as a high-level body to enhance coordination between the Centre and the states and facilitate public and private investment in the agro-sector. It will also enhance cooperation between the cooperative and corporate sectors.

The prime minister further said that the government will accord topmost priority to strengthening of the futures market of agricultural produce. It will also promote value-added farm products. It will help farmers find suitable markets for their produce.

To start with, cotton, oilseed, edible oils will come under the purview of the futures market immediately. He said that measures will also be taken to strengthen the Forward Markets Commission.

The government will also initiate measures in promotion of export of farm produce. The PM said India's farm produce which has a low share in the global market needs to be increased. He said globalisation has thrown up new challenges before India's food produce industry and old trade barriers are disappearing in accordance to the committment to the World Trade Organisation.

Vajpayee announced that the government will soon unveil a national rural cooperative policy and remove existing constraints in the cooperative sector. The policy will aim in simplyfing the rules and regulations governing the farm cooperatives. The government will also soon enact the long-pending multi-state Cooperative Act.

He said that the Prime Minister's National Task Force on Information Technology will also take up measures to promote agro-based products. It will act as a tool to create a marketing network for the benefit of farmers. It will also provide information related to agriculture and marketing network of agricultural produce.

The function was attended by Maharashtra governor Dr P C Alexander, Chief Minister Manohar Joshi, Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde, state agriculture minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil and minister of state for agriculture Harshawardhan Patil.

UNI

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