Source: Press Information Bureau
Government of India has constituted a high powered committee of chief ministers for transforming Indian agriculture and raising farmers’ income, it will be convened by Maharashtra Chief Minister
Composition of the committee is as follows;
- Chief Minister, Maharashtra: Convenor
- Chief Minister, Karnataka: Member
- Chief Minister, Haryana: Member
- Chief Minister, Arunachal Pradesh : Member
- Chief Minister, Gujarat: Member
- Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh: Member
- Chief Minister, Madhya Pradesh: Member
- Sh.Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister, Agriculture Rural Development and Panchyati Raj, GoI: Member
- A Member of NITI Aayog (Ramesh Chand): Member-Secy
The terms of Reference (ToR) of the Committee would be;
- To discuss measures for transformation of agriculture and raising farmers’ income and suggest modalities for adoption and implementation of following reforms by States/UTs
- To examine various provisions of the Essential Commodity Act (ECA), 1955 and situations that require ECA. To suggest changes in the ECA to attract private investments in agricultural marketing and infrastructure.
- To suggest a mechanism for linking of market reforms with e-NAM, GRAM, and other relevant Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
- To suggest policy measures to;
- boost agricultural export
- raise growth in food processing
- attract investments in modern market infrastructure, value chains and logistics.
- To suggest measures to upgrade agri-technology to global standards and improve access of farmers to quality seed, plant propagation material and farm machinery in agriculturally advanced countries.
- To propose any other relevant reforms for the transformation of the agriculture sector and raising farmers’ income
The committee will submit its report within two months of the date of notification of the Committee.
The High Powered Committee of Chief Ministers for ‘Transformation of Indian Agriculture’ will be serviced by NITI Aayog
Recent meeting of the committee
Following are the key highlights of the meeting
- The discussion focussed on the immediate need to accelerate the growth of the food processing industry, which is growing at a mere 1 per cent annually, and find ways to encourage the infusion of technology and private investment to modernise agriculture.
- It stressed on the need to digitize the entire agricultural process, from sowing and marketing to using drones and satellites for crop surveillance.
- It also called for bringing down the cost of institutional credit available for farming.
- During the meeting, The CMs took stock of the modalities for adoption and time-bound implementation of the measure by the States/UTs.
It was mentioned that the Small traders, farmer-producer organizations and other institutions that produce crop for which minimum support price is declared by the Centre should get an exemption from the ECA
