The Federation of Tamil Nadu Agriculturists’ Associations has appealed to the Union government to implement the recommendations of the National Commission on Farmers, along with those of the Seventh Pay Commission.
Addressing a press conference here on Friday, C. Nallusamy, secretary of the federation, said that the pricing policy for agricultural produce recommended by M. S. Swaminathan, who headed the commission, would obviate the need for farmers to depend on subsidies and free power. He said that the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations should not be implemented till such time those of the National Commission on Farmers were implemented.
Mr. Nallusamy, who is also the coordinator of Tamil Nadu Toddy Movement, said that farmers would take a stand on whom to support in the Assembly election after studying the manifestos of all political parties. “We have different options. We also have the option of fielding candidates to highlight the need to tap toddy,” he said. However, the farmers would support only those parties with credibility as successive governments had not implemented their promise to allow toddy tapping.
It was unfortunate that the country had to import commodities like oil and food grains for supply through the public distribution system. Instead, locally made oils and food grains should be supplied to ensure that huge subsidies went to local farmers and not foreign companies, he said. The government should also take steps to revive the farmers’ sport of ‘jallikattu,’ which would sustain biodiversity, Mr. Nallusamy said. He also mooted the use of ethanol as transport fuel in a phased manner so as to stop import of petroleum products.
