Niti Aayog meet: Southern states pitch for model leasing act

NEW DELHI: Niti Aayog today held its second regional consultations on agricultural development in which southern states pitched for preparation of a model land leasing act and higher remunerative prices for farmers.

The discussion by NITI Task Force on Agricultural Development was held under the chairmanship of Vice Chairman Arvind Panagariya in Bengaluru.

Representatives from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep attended the deliberations, NITI Aayog said in a release.

Last week, the regional consultation process was started in Ahmedabad with western states -- Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Goa Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli.

The Task force was constituted in March 2015 by Niti Aayog to operationalise the decisions taken in the first meeting of Niti's Governing Council in February last year.

The southern states pitched for preparation of model land leasing act by Niti Aayog and other interventions for raising productivity and remunerative prices for farmers, it said.

Andhra Pradesh favoured a better risk adaptation mechanism.

They also shared best practices in area of agriculture and water resources, while increasing employment in agriculture with remunerative prices of their produce was emphasised upon by various states, the release said.

"River linking and water conservation and harvesting were also discussed. The strengthening of agricultural co-operatives was also emphasised," it said.