Farmers continue protest against slow pace of loan waiver process | Business Line

Convenor of the steering committee, Ajit Navale said that the protest is primarily aimed at the farmers getting a fair price for their produce and loan waiver being provided to all the 89 lakh farmers in the State. Currently, a large number of farmers cannot avail the loan waivers package because the waiver conditions are so stringent that they are hard to comply, he said.

Navale pointed that procurement process of buying the crops of the farmer in Maharashtra is riddled with corruption and malpractices. Therefore the current method must be replaced by a method, which is currently practiced in Madhya Pradesh, where the State Government rather procuring the farm goods, pays to the farmers directly the price difference between the market rate and Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP). The payment to the farmers is made into their bank accounts.

He added that a pilot project for a few crops should be started by the State Government. By paying the price differential the State Government will also save money in terms of manpower and warehousing costs, which it incurs for procuring the farm produce.

Source: Farmers continue protest against slow pace of loan waiver process | Business Line