Promoting rare horticultural and fruit crops is welcome from the point of view of enhancing profitability and addressing malnutrition. Further, projects like subsidy for cane crushing machines, farmers loan waiver, providing Rs 10 lakh loan per former at 3% interest rate are also welcome. But how many beneficiaries are targeted is not specified.
Proposals like agricultural college at Chamarajanagar, ARS at Muddebihal, Vijayapura and Nanjundaswamy Research Centre at GKVK are also welcome. There could be more agricultural colleges instead of just first grade colleges as they are already in great number in all parts of the state. Some budget should have been allocated for rationalising syllabus at primary education levels.
However, there are some disappointments. There should have been provision of allocation and assurance of land for starting a Central Agricultural University. Government land is readily available in Gundlupet taluk. A lot of effort has been put into this proposal at various levels. I hope it will see the light of day.
Skill development and entrepreneurship allocation, though meagre, is welcome. But there should be focus on projects to retain village youths through scientifically designed rural-based industries through Special Agricultural Zones, which is missing. Also it should focus on adding value to farmers’ produce to enhance their profit margin.
There is no specified allocation for preventing distress sale of farmers’ produce when production exceeds demand, leading to price crash. There should be enough and liberal loan facility for farmers to face distress situations which are becoming common. The state should join hands with the Centre in implementing Swaminathan commission report.Overall, the Budget 2018 is pro-farmer and focuses on addressing agri distress. The challenge lies in designing scientifically sound and implementable plans.
Highlights
Raitha Belaku scheme to give direct income assistance to dryland farmers (max of Rs 10,000)
Increased organic farming area from one lakh hectare to 1.5 lakh hectares
Project to increase area under minor millets to 60,000 hectares at a cost of Rs 24 crore
Special groundnut package to farmers in Tumakuru and Chitradurga districts
Rs 30 cr to Minority Development Corporation for loan/subsidy to mechanics, carpenters, vendors
Prof M Mahadevappa
Director, (Rural Dev), JSS Mahavidya Peetha, Mysuru