FDI IN RETAIL: FDI favourable to farmers- Sharad Pawar

Ludhiana, November 20, 2012: Union Minister of Agriculture and Food Processing Industries Sharad Pawar today categorically said that FDI in retail was in the interest of the farmers and the consumers across the country.

He was interacting to the media persons after inaugurating seventh national conference on “Krishi Vigyan KendraS–2012” in the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) premises here today.

Further, he told that those were incorrect who claimed that FDI in retail would badly affect interests of the small shopkeepers and traders.

On the issue of ongoing paddy-wheat cycle in Punjab, he told that the ongoing trend was not good as it was not only affecting fertility of the agricultural land but it was also causing depleting of the under-ground water in the state. He said they had spoken to the Punjab government asking it to change this ongoing cycle. He said he was about to discuss this issue with Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal in the today’s meeting to be held in Chandigarh.

He said there was a need that the state government should focus on bringing more area under the cultivation of oil seeds and pulses instead of wheat. He revealed that the Centre’s main focus was to bring second revolution by encouraging maximum paddy cultivation in Eastern parts of the country, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Chattisgarh.

Replying to a question, he indicated that there might be hike in the MSP of coming crop of wheat. He said the MSP was likely to be announced within a week.

On the issue of storage of food grains, he said the Centre was to increase storage capacity of food grains by setting up more godowns. He told that all the states, except Punjab and Maharashtra, were cooperative on the issue. He said the higher land prices in Punjab and Maharashtra were becoming obstacle in the matter.