The Hindu : National : Farmers Commission made more market-oriented

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Friday, Oct 15, 2004

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Farmers Commission made more market-oriented

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, OCT. 14. The Union Cabinet has given its ex-post-facto approval for the appointment of M.S. Swaminathan as Chairman of the National Commission on Farmers.

It revised the Commission's terms of reference to make them more market-oriented and reconstituted it.

The Cabinet meeting, chaired by the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, gave its permission to the Minister of Agriculture and Food to introduce changes in the terms of reference or composition of the Commission, if necessary, to achieve the objectives for which it was set up.

A spokesman said the new terms of reference were comprehensive and would take care of the commitments made by the United Progressive Alliance in the Common Minimum Programme. It would address the problems faced by farmers, in particular, and agriculture in general.

Medium-term policy

The Commission would submit a medium-term policy for food and nutrition security within the next three months. It would submit its recommendations on other terms of reference as soon as possible "in any case" within two years.

In its earlier terms of reference, the Commission was to identify factors responsible for imbalances and disparities and suggest measures for achieving sustainable and equitable agricultural development. It was to examine issues of existing price and marketing policies and legal framework for improving the incomes and welfare of farmers and assess impact of the international trade environment on sustainability and viability of small agricultural holdings.

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