Acknowledging that farm loan waiver is not a permanent remedy to the crisis affecting the agricultural sector, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Sunday assured farmers that the loan waiver process will be completed by June.
Speaking at the valedictory of the four-day Krishi Mela organised by the University of Agricultural Sciences-Bengaluru, the Chief Minister called upon farmers not to fall prey to propaganda by vested interests against the government. “Have confidence in the coalition government. We have announced farm loan waiver of over ₹45,000 crore from cooperative and nationalised banks and we are committed to it. Our government is just six months old. Give us time till June,” he said.
He said similar schemes that were announced by governments in other States, including Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, are yet to implemented although the governments there are two years old.
To ensure that the farmers do not take private loans (from individuals), the government is working to provide them with all facilities. The government will also ensure the farm produce gets a good market with scientific pricing, he said.
Exhorting the farmers to adopt modern agricultural practices suitable to the changing climatic conditions, the Chief Minister said the farmers are facing a lot of challenges because they are still continuing with age-old practices. Citing the example of some progressive farmers, he said it is high time that farmers aim at reaping higher benefits at low costs.
Earlier, the Chief Minister gave away the best exhibition awards and the State-level best farmer awards. He also launched two mobile apps — one on Krishi Mela 2018 and another that will assist farmers in soil testing and choosing the best fertilizers. He also launched a website ‘Bheej Aadhar’. This software will help strengthen the seed industry and facilitate registration of plant varieties grown by farmers.
