THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Agriculture expert R. Haley feels the Union budget will benefit farmers of the state especially those involved in selling value-added products. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a clarion call to double farmers’ income by 2022 where it has been decided to increase the minimum support price of all crops to at least 1.5 times of production (input) cost. The former agriculture director who was instrumental in setting up Farm Information Bureau in the state said it had made substantial allotments to promote value-added products. “Raw materials belong to the state. Value-addition requires technology which is what the government has envisaged,” he told DC.
He recalled C. Subramaniam and K. Kamaraj had constituted an immediate task force to identify areas which their home state of Tamil Nadu can penetrate. It saw an Integral Coach Factory at Perambur and Doordarshan Kendra there. “Kerala should envisage a similar plan and come up with a task force. Already the state government has done the preparatory work which would enable the officials to take up the matter with ease,” he told DC.
But he feels that since rubber is not among the crops, it has to be included at the earliest, so that rubber growers reap its benefits. He demands perennial crops also included as a model project when currently cotton figures along with wheat, rice and pulses. But he feels there is lack of transparency, and the minister has not provided details on the minimum support price among various crops. Mr Haley alleges that this is just a stunt by the BJP before the general elections due next year and eight Assembly elections before that.
