VJAS Urged Maharashtra Govt. to “National Food security mission” for food crop promotion in farm suicide effected area of vidarbha

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Appeal to donate for promotion of desi food crop cultivation campaign

Nagpur- June 17, 2009
The advertisement published by Govt. of Maharashtra (reproduced here) has not covered single farm suicide effected district of vidarbha and marathawada under central Govt.’s “National Food security mission” for food crop promotion as per details in Govt. advertisement only Pune ,Nashik,Chandrapur ,Bhandara,Gondia and Gadchiroli districts have been covered as agriculture depttt. restricted this year “Rice” as food crop for national food crop security campaign –khariff 2009.
It has been main reason of agrarian crisis that the farmers of west vidarbha has shifted for mono crop cultivation that is cotton or soybean and area under cultivation has increased from 50% to almost 95% which is one of the main reason of increasing distress and debt due to high cost of cultivation of these cash crop hence VJAS has been demanding introduction of “National Food security mission” in west vidarbha .

VJAS has highlighted importance of the mixed crop pattern and urged the government to set up better targets for food suitable for delayed monsoon crops such as pulses, legumes and oil seeds: safflower, mustard, tur, jowar, bajra, ground-nut, chana, sun-flower and it is nee of hour to regulate high risk high cost cultivation of cash crop in agrarian crisis effected area at least for small and marginal farmers (up to three or four acres) could be encouraged to have go for 50-50 (cash crop plus the food crop). There are desi seed till available that grow without much water.

VJAS urged vidarbha cotton farmers not to cultivate more than 50 per cent land should be under cash crop (Soya or cotton or whatever),it is also suggested that they should have at least 10 square meters for water pond (not above the land, but beneath the surface model),the remaining land should be divided between legumes and pulses

The boundaries (dhura) could be used for dry land fruits and seasonal vegetables: such as custard apple (sitafal), lemon, mango (long term fruit), drum-sticks (advisable for tribal farmers with shallow land), jack-fruit, beans, bhopla, Aamla (One need not plant these trees in big numbers but sufficient enough for domestic consumption and little marketable produce in the seasons).All of this does not need financial inputs or water use in big way, but saves on spendings on buying food from outside,VJAS added.

VJAS urged the government to include Vidarbha in the food-crop incentive programme as the food crop prices, despite huge subsidies in the worldt, the prices are touching the sky and sustainable food crop cultivation is the best targeted low cost solution for Vidarbha agrarian crisis in the long term but Govt. is not ready to opt these policies as to protect the financial interest of MNCs manufacturing seeds and pesticide, VJAS alleged.