Farmers should be given proper incentives; their interests must be protected. The government must ensure that farmers get remunerative prices for their produces

Remunerative prices elude farmers

The country has achieved self-sufficiency in food for bumper agricultural production, but the success failed to bring smiles on the faces of farmers as they are not getting fair prices for their produce. A report on this appeared in a daily newspaper on Wednesday. Though the bumper production benefited the consumers, the growers are facing hard times as they are incurring huge losses for lower prices of crops. Farmers did not get remunerative prices for Aman and Boro paddy for the last two seasons. It seems that deprivation has become a regular phenomenon.
Every year the government undertakes food grain procurement drive in the country paying remunerative prices. After the harvesting, farmers hope to sell the surplus paddy to the government to earn some money profitably. But when the farmers are ready to sell , the government procurement centres are not found operating. Under these circumstances, the farmers are forced to sell their produced paddy to the middlemen and the agents of the rice mill owners at lower prices. Taking advantage of the helplessness of the growers, they purchase paddy from farmers at lower prices, stockpile and later sell the same to the government procurement centres at higher
prices, thus making substantial profits. It is
depressing to note that the growers are deprived and the middlemen and agents gain due to the erratic policy of the relevant authorities. This has been going on in recent years. If this kind of deprivation goes on, farmers will lose interest in cultivation of paddy and turn to cultivation of other crops, including tobacco. In that case the country could ultimately face shortfall in food production and the government might be compelled to import food grain in larger quantities to make up the deficit.
Farmers should be given proper incentives. The procurement centers must be fully operational when the farmers are willing to sell and the latter should have easy access to them. The government must ensure that farmers get remunerative prices for their produce. On the other hand, as vegetables and fruits are perishable items, sufficient number of cold storages should be set up in the country under government and private initiatives. These will provide farmers with the opportunity of preserving their produces and to sell the same at remunerative prices later.   

 

Farmers should be given proper incentives; their interests must be protected. The government must ensure that farmers get remunerative prices for their produces

Remunerative prices elude farmers

The country has achieved self-sufficiency in food for bumper agricultural production, but the success failed to bring smiles on the faces of farmers as they are not getting fair prices for their produce. A report on this appeared in a daily newspaper on Wednesday. Though the bumper production benefited the consumers, the growers are facing hard times as they are incurring huge losses for lower prices of crops. Farmers did not get remunerative prices for Aman and Boro paddy for the last two seasons. It seems that deprivation has become a regular phenomenon. Every year the government undertakes food grain procurement drive in the country paying remunerative prices. After the harvesting, farmers hope to sell the surplus paddy to the government to earn some money profitably. But when the farmers are ready to sell , the government procurement centres are not found operating. Under these circumstances, the farmers are forced to sell their produced paddy to the middlemen and the agents of the rice mill owners at lower prices. Taking advantage of the helplessness of the growers, they purchase paddy from farmers at lower prices, stockpile and later sell the same to the government procurement centres at higher prices, thus making substantial profits. It is depressing to note that the growers are deprived and the middlemen and agents gain due to the erratic policy of the relevant authorities. This has been going on in recent years. If this kind of deprivation goes on, farmers will lose interest in cultivation of paddy and turn to cultivation of other crops, including tobacco. In that case the country could ultimately face shortfall in food production and the government might be compelled to import food grain in larger quantities to make up the deficit. Farmers should be given proper incentives. The procurement centers must be fully operational when the farmers are willing to sell and the latter should have easy access to them. The government must ensure that farmers get remunerative prices for their produce. On the other hand, as vegetables and fruits are perishable items, sufficient number of cold storages should be set up in the country under government and private initiatives. These will provide farmers with the opportunity of preserving their produces and to sell the same at remunerative prices later.