Transparency needed in agri scheme: VC

In a major boost to the agriculture sector, the Union Government has recently issued new guidelines permitting states to tie up with private firms for big projects under its flagship programme Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna (RKVY).

Speaking about this scheme, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, Dr K Narayana Gowda has told Express that that this project would succeed only if transparency is guaranteed and farmers are informed about the project.

“Any private institution works for profit. Otherwise, they cannot survive. But, they should consider the degree of service and work towards improving the farm sector as a whole,” Dr Gowda observed.DetailsThe public private partnership for Integrated Agriculture Development (PPIAD) guidelines have been framed giving the flexibility to the states to team up with private players on large-scale integrated agri-projects that provide end-to-end solutions from production to marketing.

PPPIAD is proposed to cover 1.2 million farmers involved in agriculture and allied sectors across the country during 2012-2017. Each of the integrated agriculture projects would involve engaging a minimum of 10,000 farmers.

The State Government opened 660 hire service centres, one each for a cluster of ten villages providing agricultural implements to farmers through registered Primary Agricultural Credit Co-operative Societies, last year under this programme.

Based on the success of this scheme, a sum of Rs 50 crore has been proposed to open 500 hire service centres each at a cost of Rs 10 lakh through selected registered co-operative societies.

The Centre has allocated Rs 9,217 crore for RKVY in 2012-13 fiscal and Small Farmers’ Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC), a Government of India initiative has been nominated as a National Level Agency to examine the proposals for the project.

Single Window SystemUnder the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna, corporate companies can emerge as the single window for delivering all interventions, including  delivering subsidies, arranging credit to farm inputs and creating market linkages for the produce, Dr Gowda said.