In a pre-budget memorandum, the president of the Agro Food Chamber of Commerce and Industry stressed various demands including making agriculture a mandatory subject in school and college curriculum to the Minister of Agriculture MRK Pannerselvam on Thursday, March 9. The state government budget 2023-24 is scheduled to be tabled in the assembly on March 20, 2023, stated a report in The New Indian Express.
Therefore, ahead of this, the Agro Food Chamber of Commerce and Industry stated their expectations. In this regard, President S Rethinavelu demands the government to introduce 'Ridgeless Cultivation'.
What is ridgeless cultivation? It is cultivation via removing the ridges of their small land holdings to introduce scientific farming with the latest technology in a large span of land of at least 100 acres to achieve high productivity. Further, he also requested the government to set up the millets board just like coffee and spices boards and millets products should be exempted from GST or reduced from 18% to 5%.
Additionally, he asks the government to implement the agriculture curriculum as a mandatory subject in schools and colleges. And other demands which include southern districts should be declared as food processing hubs and exports should be encouraged. The marketing committees should be equipped with sufficient warehouses, cold storage and other allied infrastructure. And intra-state river linkage projects should be completed on a priority basis and more funds to be allocated, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.
