Experts see little for agriculture sector

Say absence of MSP for crops other than wheat and paddy not a good sign

CHANDIGARH: The farming community has been ignored in the Union budget presented in Parliament on Tuesday for financial year 2022-23, feel experts, terming it ‘lacklustre’ as far as the peasantry is concerned.

“There’s an outlay of ₹2.37-lakh crore for the procurement of wheat and paddy, which is less than the last year’s allocation. How can the government say it wants to double farmers’ income when the MSP is offered only for wheat and paddy,” says food and agriculture policy analyst Devinder Sharma, adding that Punjab being an agrarian state has been completely ignored.

“There is no package for crop diversification. The proposal for non-chemical farming along The Ganga is a welcome step but where are the funds. There is no hike in the Kisan Nidhi Yojana benefits,” he says.

Professor emeritus of Punjabi University, Patiala, Lakhwinder Singh Gill has the similar take. “There can’t be zero-budget farming as announced in today; the infrastructure needs investment. Research and crop diversification which are the backbone of agrarian growth have been ignored,” he adds.

Gill highlighted the meagre allocation of ₹100 crore to boost Parampragat Krishi Vikas Yojana (organic farming), which has been reduced from ₹450 crore allocated for the current fiscal. “₹60 crore for using drones for chemical sprays on crops has no meaning. The allocation for farmer producer organisations (FPOs) has been reduced from ₹700 crore in 2021-22 to ₹500 crore in 2022-23,” he points out. Former member secretary of Punjab State Farmers’ Commission Balwinder Singh Sidhu expressed surprise at the decrease in monetary allocation for various schemes related to farming.

“The government is silent on guaranteed income for crops. The MSP only for wheat and paddy is not the solution,” he says, pointing out the stagnant funds for the oilseed production.

“The reduction in income tax on cooperative societies, which also includes agricultural cooperative societies, from 18% to 15% on a par with the corporate is the only glimmer for the rural economy,” he says.

Worst-ever budget, says Ugrahan

Joginder Singh Ugrahan who heads the Bharatiya Kisan Union termed the budget as “worst ever”. “It seems the government has taken revenge from the farmers for agitating against the three farm laws. The allocations for all the Central schemes have been cut down and there is no allocation for the crop residue management for the coming financial year against ₹700 crore allocated for the current financial year. “The PM had promised to double farmers’ income by 2022, but the budget shows that he wants to make the peasantry poorer. There is not a single word on farmers’ debt waiver as promised,” added Ugrahan.