Farmer Groups to meet Manmohan Singh to press for FDI in retail

NEW DELHI: Leaders of farmer groups are meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday to press for allowing FDI in retail. Leaders from four states with lion's share in India's farm GDP––Punjab, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka –– will be part of the delegation.

“We will give December 31 as deadline for implementation of FDI. After that we will begin a nationwide stir,” said PV Chengal Reddy, who heads Confederation of Indian Farmers, a lobby group with 40 million farmers as direct and indirect members.

Their other demands include decontrol of the sugar industry and a special parliamentary session to discuss the Swaminathan committee report on farmers.

Farm lobbies have been demanding FDI in retail as they expect it to bring greater market access and shorten the chain between farm and fork.