Naidu for more 'pro-farmer' policies, says loan waiver not permanent solution

Pune: Pitching for more pro-farmer policies, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday said loan waiver is not a permanent solution and in the long-term, it would affect the agriculture sector and "hurt" cultivators.

Claiming that farmers who take up allied activities such as poultry and dairy along with traditional farming, do not commit suicide, he said cultivators must be able to export their produce for better returns.

In many policies, consumers are given more importance because of their large number, but farmers' concerns shouldn't be ignored, Naidu said, adding, "How do we balance the two conflicting interests in practical terms? That is a major challenge."

The vice president was here to inaugurate a national consultation on 'making agriculture sustainable and profitable' at the Vaikunth Mehta National Institute of Cooperative Management.

Agricultural scientist and the Father of Indian Green Revolution Dr M S Swaminathan, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and NCP chief Sharad Pawar were present at the event.

"Loan waiver is not a permanent solution and in the long-term, it will affect the agriculture sector and hurt farmers," the vice president said, and opined that since a huge population is dependent on agriculture for livelihood, increasing the income and purchasing power of this group is extremely important.

Naidu said the major challenge is to make agriculture economically viable and the solution to it lies in identifying gaps in policy formulation.

"We should make our policies more pro-farmer. Secondly, we should streamline the implementation processes keeping the end consumer -- the farmer -- always in mind," the vice president said.

It is important to encourage farmers to take up allied activities such as poultry, dairy, fisheries and aquaculture that can not only enhance their income of but also cushion them against the adverse impact of failed crop season, he said.