THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Holding the government responsible for the fall in prices of agricultural products and the debt liability of farmers, the Opposition on Wednesday staged a walkout protesting the denial of permission for their adjournment motion on the subject.
Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan said that the LDF government is neglecting the farmer’s issue and the agriculture sector. He also alleged that the procurement of farm produce had been hit for three years in the state while it is increasing in Tamil Nadu every year.
“The government should increase the procurement rate of coconut from Rs 35 per kg to Rs 40. The Farmer’s Debt Relief Commission had stopped receiving applications in 2020. The commission has become dysfunctional in the state," Satheesan said.
"There are also arrears to the tune of Rs 221 crore related to debt relief. In the agricultural sector, more and more farmlands are being confiscated. Farmers are committing suicides. About 30 lakh people have been affected by man-wild animal conflicts,” Satheesan added.
However, Agriculture Minister P Prasad put the blame on successive Union governments.
“The policies of these governments had always created obstacles for the growth of the agriculture sector. The fall in the price of natural rubber and other products was caused after the free trade agreements and the formulation of export-import policies. The free trade agreements have destroyed the backbone of the agriculture sector,” he said.