TIRUCHI
The Joint Action Council of Tamil Nadu Farmers Associations, a forum striving to network apolitical grassroots farmers’ organisations, has expressed concern over the “disturbing trend” of farmers associations extending support to one political party or other in the run-up to the election and said that such actions severely undermined the collective bargaining capacity of farmers.
Farmers’ associations, which have come out in the open to extend support to different parties, should reconsider their stand and come forward to strive for the development of farmers and agriculture, the JAC demanded. It appealed to the political to give up what it alleged was a ‘political trade’ to enlist support of the farmers associations.
The JAC also called upon parties to come up constructive plans for agriculture sector growth rather than coming up with promises of freebies and doles. Such promises, the council contended, were against the Directive Principles of State Policy of the Constitution and called upon the parties to review their promises.
Addressing a press conference here, D.Gurusamy, Coordinator of the JAC, said the council wanted to keep the focus on larger issues concerning agriculture and ensure that farmers retained their independent bargaining capacity.
Listing out some of the issues of major concern before the farmers now, Mr.Gurusamy said it was important for political parties and governments to come up proper plan of cropping and irrigation patterns so that the current fluctuation in price due to mass production of a single crop was brought to an end. Cultivation should be demand driven. “Farmers are now in the streets to sell their produce and in the clutches of middlemen,” he said and demanded creation of agricultural markets with proper infrastructure such as storage godowns.
Arguing that the Minimum Support Price announced by the Centre and State governments for various crops was not arrived in a scientific manner, Mr.Gurusamy said statutory remunerative price should be guaranteed for agriculture produce, providing for 50% profit over and above the cost of cultivation.
Agricultural should also be brought under institutional credit system. Adequate credit should be made available at appropriate time at low interest rate, the JAC demanded.
The agrarian distress, it said, was largely caused by the farmers inability to repay their loans. Crop loan waiver was not a permanent solution. Hence, after a one-time waiver, an agrarian debt relief and rehabilitation scheme should be implemented by creating a revolving fund. Besides, land reforms should be implemented properly. An irrigation potential development plan should also be evolved to harness the available water. All political parties should come forward to support such initiatives, he demanded.