40% farmers ready to quit agriculture

About 40 per cent farmers in India are willing to quit agriculture due to adverse conditions, says a report released by the Central Farmer Commission.

The revelation was made by Union Minister of State for Agriculture Kantilal Bhuria while attending a function after inaugurating the newly constructed building of Agricultural Fertiliser and Processing Unit at Indira Gandhi Agriculture University.

"It is a matter of concern that about 40 per cent of the farmers are willing to change their profession following present condition in the agriculture sector," Bhuria quoting the report of the commission said.

The commission, constituted to give suggestions in the interest of farmers and agriculture sector, had submitted its report to the union government, the minister added.

The report said the area of grazing grounds in major parts of the country was declining sharply, posing a big problem for the small and medium farmers dependent on farming by using their cattle.

The research on agriculture sectors should be according to the need of the hours and necessity so that it could help the small and medium farmers, the commission said in its report.

The commission also pointed out that the subsidy on grants given in the agriculture sector is being cut down slowly at a time when the sector requires getting more government aid.

The report added that if the modern agriculture technique and traditional farming are mixed in suitable proportion, it will yield the desired results and farmers can reap more benefits from the farms. The union minister said that many tribal-dominated areas in the country including Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand had rich bi-diversity features that needed to be preserved.  "Its preservation is the need of the hour," Bhuria said.

The commission had given a few suggestions in this connection-prominent among it includes giving fillip to the process of plant re-production with the help of farmers so that they could use it.

The Union government is examining the report and will implement the suggestions in the larger interests of the farmers and development of agriculture sector, Bhuria said. He added that the Union government would consider the demand of opening a centre of Indian Agriculture Research Council in the rice bowl of the country.