The Tamizhaga Vivasayigal Sangam has urged the Central government to bring about a comprehensive change in its policy on fixing prices for agricultural produce.
“The current policy of fixing prices for farm produce does not offer remunerative prices for farmers. The fixation process seems to be an eye-wash. The government should bring about suitable changes in the policy so to ensure that the procurement price fixed by it was profitable to farmers,” said a resolution adopted at the State executive committee meeting of the association at Perambalur on Tuesday.
The association urged the government to sanction drought relief even if farmers had sustained 33 per cent crop loss. Suitable changes should be made in the national crop insurance scheme so as to sanction compensation for crop losses at the village level.
Nationalised banks should continue to extend crop loans without any change in interest rate and the interest subvention scheme, the association said through other resolutions.
Referring to the recent sanction of Rs.6000-crore loan to sugar mills by the Union government to help them clear arrears to farmers, the association said it would not be beneficial to cane growers. The government should deposit the arrears in the bank accounts of farmers directly, it demanded.
