R G Agarwal, Chairman Dhanuka Agritech
“Now that the Modi government has come back with a thumping majority, we expect it to outline its solutions in the forthcoming Budget addressing the acute farm distress. The interim Budget
“Access to urban markets is another issue. The government should announce measures to help farmers to transport fresh produce (vegetables/fruits) through four-wheelers to sell their produce in the cities directly to consumers, removing the middlemen involved. Developing infrastructure for agriculture at the village level should be a priority for inclusive development. Further, as per Dr. Ashok Dalwai committee on ‘Doubling Farmers’ Income’ appointed by PM, the cost of pesticides usage in entire agriculture process is mere 0.4% but it should be noted that if pesticides are not of good quality then the rest 99.6% investment in agriculture may go waste. As such special focus should be to ensure supply of quality pesticides to farmers. Finally, GST on pesticides should be reduced from 18 percent to 5 percent in line with fertilizers and other agri-products so that farmers gets quality pesticides at reasonable price to protect their crops from pests and diseases.”