BANGALORE: The State Government has set up five committees headed by agricultural experts to suggest measures for the renewal of the agricultural sector and implementation of the recommendations of the National Commission on Farmers (NCF) headed by eminent scientist M.S. Swaminathan.

The committees have been asked to suggest strategies and action plans for the implementation of programmes to address the entire gamut of problems confronting farmers. Stagnation in production and low prices for agricultural produce are major concerns of the Government.

The Agriculture Department is expecting concrete recommendations from these committees on increasing farm productivity and market reforms to provide value addition to farm produce, Minister for Agriculture Bandeppa Kashempur told The Hindu .

The department held a daylong workshop on recommendations made by the NCF on June 24.

The committees are expected to submit their reports in 15 days. The Government has decided to set up a high-level official committee to ensure the implementation of the action plans suggested the by five committees.

R. Dwarakinath, former Vice-Chancellors of the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Bangalore, heads the Committee on Agriculture Technology and Extension Management. The Director of the Horticulture Department; the Vice-Chancellor of the UAS, Bangalore; and officials of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) are members.

The committee will look into gaps in technology and the extension system, research interventions, public-private partnerships, role of Raitha Samparka Kendras and strengthening village knowledge centres and promoting farmers' clubs.

Market reforms

R.S. Deshpande, professor and head of the Agriculture Development and Rural Transformation Centre, Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore, heads the Committee on Agriculture Market Reforms and Establishing Indian Trade Organisation (ITO). The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Safal, National Dairy Development Board; the CEO of Export Import Bank; and officials of the State Agricultural Marketing Board and NABARD are members.

The committee will look into issues related to amendments to the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Act, contract farming, direct marketing, use of information technology in agricultural marketing, synergy between forward and backward linkages and suggest policy requirements for setting up the ITO and for agro-processing and the export market.

The Chief General Manager of NABARD, Bangalore, heads the Committee on Credit and Insurance. Officials of the Reserve Bank of India, the State-Level Bankers Committee, State Bank of India, Pragathi Grameen Bank and Agriculture Department are members.

Its major tasks include assessment of credit needs and adequacy, reforming credit dispensation procedures, finding an alternative credit delivery mechanism and suggesting policy refinement, institutional reforms, agriculture insurance package and incentives.

S.A. Patil, Vice-Chancellor, UAS, Dharwad, heads the Committee on Soil Health and Productivity Enhancement. The Director of the Horticulture Department; the Commissioner of Watershed Development; the Vice-Chancellor of the UAS, Bangalore; officials of the National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Pattern; and representatives of four non-governmental organisations are members.

The committee will look at mechanisms to create soil health awareness, suggest soil conservation techniques and develop a package for region-specific sustainable farming and promotion of organic farming.

Captain Raja Rao, former Secretary, Irrigation Department, heads the Committee on Irrigation Water Supply Augmentation and Demand Management. The Director of Mines and Geology, the Director of Watershed Department and the Vice-Chancellors of the UAS, Dharwad and Bangalore, are members.

It will look into issues such as mainstreaming rainwater harvesting, policy incentives and awareness creation, crop planning, a water use regulatory mechanism and low-cost technology for water conservation and management.

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