LDF govt takes several steps to ensure farm sector's welfare, CM

Thrissur: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday said the ruling Left government has taken several steps to ensure self-sufficiency in the agricultural sector and its uplift as per the needs of the changing timesreports PTI

Vijayan said the state government was implementing various measures and schemes for the welfare of farmers in the last seven years, overcoming its own limitations and "the Centre's anti-farmer policies".

The CM claimed that the BJP-led central government was implementing now, with greater intensity, the neo-liberal policies of the 1990s and the same has resulted in the agriculture sector facing the worst ever crisis it has seen.

"The fact that lakhs of farmers have committed suicide in the country since the 90s shows the depth of the crisis," he said. Addressing a press conference here, he said the Left administration in Kerala has been able to ensure welfare of farmers like nowhere else in the country.

The CM's statement comes amid criticism from the Congress-led UDF opposition that the state government was allegedly neglecting farmers and was not timely paying for the paddy procured from them. Rejecting the allegations, Vijayan said the government has fixed floor price for 16 varieties of vegetables produced in the state and was also paying higher storage prices for paddy.

The CM also said in 2022-23, the government disbursed Rs 2,061.9 crore for the 7.3 lakh metric tonnes of paddy procured from farmers.

He also said while the minimum support price fixed by the Centre for paddy was Rs 20.4, Kerala was paying farmers an additional Rs 7.80.

Vijayan said the government was paying the full amount to farmers without waiting for the central share.

"For that, the interest on the amount advanced through PRS through banks is borne by the state. The state is yet to receive the central share of Rs 790 crore for paddy procurement," he said. He also referred to the various schemes like 'Keragramam', 'Subhiksha Kerala' and crop insurance that were devised and implemented by the government for the uplift of the farmers and the agriculture sector, he said.

"Thus we have been able to make good progress in various fields like production of agricultural crops, marketing and welfare of farmers," the CM said.

In addition, 30,000 farming groups were being set up and about three lakh employment opportunities were also being created, he said..