Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis gets assurances of Israeli help in the state's farmers

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has asked for help from former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres on helping farmers in Maharashtra who are ending their lives in large numbers due to the agrarian crisis.

Fadnavis sought the help from the Shimon Peres Foundation during his three day Israel visit which concluded on Wednesday. Fadnavis wanted the Peres Foundation to send an expert team to help support farmers in Yavatmal and Osmanabad. Accordingly two organizations ' Jethro' and 'Demeter' that work with the former Israeli PM's Foundation will now be visiting these two regions. The organizations would lend their expertise in latest farming techniques from Isreal by adding value added industry on farm produce, using biological pesticides instead of costly chemical ones and drip irrigation. Peres on his part told Fadnavis that Maharashtra farmers could become 'as well off' as that of Israel' if they constantly do Research and Development.

The Maharashtra Chief Minister has also invited Peres to visit Maharashtra. Fadnavis seeking Israeli help for Maharashtra's farmers is crucial as the state has one of the highest suicide rates among farmers. On an average around 700 to 900 farmers commit suicide in Maharashtra each year. Fadnavis has concluded his visit to Israel and returned to Maharashtra today morning, at the same time when Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi is beginning his tour of Vidarbha region to highlight farmers greivances.