Speaking to reporters here after announcing the second advance estimate for 2010-11 crop year, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said the country will witness record production in wheat, pulses and cotton this year.
Mr. Pawar said this extraordinary feat is possible because of the hard efforts put in by the farming community.
Sharad Pawar also said that farm credit is likely to reach 4 lakh crore rupees this fiscal against the government’s target of 3.75 lakh crore rupees. The credit disbursement in 2009-10 fiscal was nearly 3.84 lakh crore rupees. As part of farmer-friendly policy, the government has taken several measures to improve agriculture credit flow in order to boost investment in the farm sector.
Besides, encouraged by bumper production estimates this year, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar Wednesday favoured export of certain commodities like non-basmati rice, sugar and onion to protect the interests of the farming community. Citing onion case as an example, Pawar said farmers, who are crying over crashing onion prices, should be helped to recover at least their cultivation cost.Meanwhile, farmers protesting fall in onion prices Wednesday blocked the busy Mumbai-Agra national highway between Pimpalgaon Baswant and Chandvad in Nashik for over two hours. Around 500 protesters, demanded that ban on onion export be lifted.