Maharashtra CM initiative to Israeli's intervention will add fuel in Vidarbha Agrarian Distress

Maharashtra CM initiative to Israeli's intervention will add fuel in Vidarbha Agrarian Distress 


Nagpur-2nd May 2015 

Farm activist group Vidarbha Janandolan samiti (VJAS) has strongly criticized  recent move of  Maharashtra Chief

Minister Devendra Fadnavis asking for help from former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres on issue  of cotton farmers suicides  in Maharashtra who are ending their lives in large numbers due to the agrarian crisis, terming the Govt. attempt to shift focus from core issues of agrarian distress which is related to cotton  global lower rates and mounting debt with frozen institutional credit as since 1995 ,there has been  always joined collaborated work to increase drip irrigation and mechanized farming with help of Israeli companies with ICAR and Indian agriculture varsities  and state Govt. is giving massive subsidies to these companies which has been matter controversies and corruption ,Kishor Tiwari convener of VJAS said today.  

'Since 1998 when vidarbha cotton farmers suicides has drawn the national attention ,more than dozen commissions,committees, expert panels,state funded research groups including National commission of farmers have given very comprehensive reports and recommendations to curb farmer suicide and addressed existing agrarian crisis which is product of wrong policies of state now are with administration and gathering dust and visiting Israel and talking about it's cotton farming and classical harvesting and announcement of is't adoption is being always earlier UPA Govt. practice  to divert the core issues of 3 million debt trapped and distressed farmers now once again  Maharashtra CM Fadnavis has done by requesting the help from the Shimon Peres Foundation,Tiwari added. 

In fact since there is always Israeli drip irrigation  companies in our  university and  ICAR centre under “All India Coordinated Cotton Improvement Project” since  1972 and  “All India Coordinated Cotton Improvement Project” (AICCIP) started at Cotton Research Unit, and another scheme “Integrated Cotton Development Project” (ICDP) was also sanctioned by state government since 1978 to strengthen the research work on cotton but the ground reality is very grim and gloomy moreover ,since 1998  schemes with heavy subsidies to match exaggerated rates of   Israeli drip irrigation  and investment  for mechanized farming has shown zero effect more over in recent year cotton has been killer crop due it's higher cost of production and lower demand and declining prices hence it is high time to discuss  Israeli  cultivation practices under protected irrigation and environment against complete rain fed cotton farmers more over these are all long term solutions now dying farmers needs is fresh bank credit and sustainable support price and protected market economy to avoid further farm suicides in the region,Tiwari added.   

 

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