New Delhi, Nov 05: The Centre said today it will not announce the support prices for sugarcane and rabi crops until the polling for the upcoming assembly elections in five states is over. "Our proposals for both the minimum support prices for rabi crops and the statutory minimum price for sugarcane are ready for being taken up by the cabinet, but they cannot be announced due to the directives of the Election Commission," Agriculture Minister Rajnath Singh said here.
Speaking on the sidelines of an industry function, he said the Centre wants to announce the support prices before the sowing season itself. However for the ensuing rabi, it cannot be done in view of the fiat of the Election Commission.
Earlier he said the single most important stakeholder in the scheme of "agricultural diversification" is the farmer who had to adopt the concept by shifting from conventional crops.
He was addressing an international workshop on
"Agricultural diversification and vertical integration in South Asia," organised by Ficci.
"To my mind, farmer shall not accept any diversification until he is confident that adequate protection will be provided to him to take care of the extra risk by way of ensuring remunerative prices for his produce, marketing and procurement, adequate supply of inputs and a long-term policy promising steady and sustained growth," he added.
The minister said private sector participation is also critical for promoting agricultural diversification and vertical integration. Bureau Report