VP Naidu expresses hope of reasonable solution to farmers' issue

New Delhi: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday expressed the hope that a "reasonable solution" will be found to the issues raised by agitating farmers as they and the government are willing to talk to each other. Speaking at an event in Muchintal, Hyderabad, Naidu referred to media reports on the demands of the agitating farmers and the response of the representatives of the Centre, saying he sees the possibility of a "certain meeting ground", an official statement said.

He expected both the sides to crystalise the meeting point based on an understanding of each other's position and expressed the hope that they would have a fruitful and meaningful dialogue, the statement said.

The vice president pointed out that restriction-free marketing of farm produce has been a long-standing demand, which he himself had articulated several times. "One country and one food zone" has been the demand for long.


Observing that the country's development is closely tied to farmers' progress, Naidu compared the farmers' compassion with that of a mother and said it was the duty of everybody to support them.

He lauded the farmers for rendering a great service to the nation during the pandemic by producing record foodgrain in spite of facing hardships. He also appreciated the efforts of the doctors, sanitation workers, police and media personnel during the pandemic.

Naidu said the Centre and the state governments should work as "Team India" in addressing the needs of the farmers, adding that apart from ensuring remunerative prices, the farmers should be provided with timely and affordable credit. There was also a need to increase the number of cold storage facilities and godowns at all levels. As a matter of fact, every tehsil must have a cold storage facility, he said.

Pointing out that the people of the country have always accorded a very high status to agriculture, the vice president said this is the reason why our festivals and rituals are closely associated with agriculture.

Referring to a Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) report that cautioned about food crisis in the coming times, he said if people support farmers, India would not only be food secure, but would also be able to feed the world.

He also complimented the central government for implementing several schemes for the well-being of farmers. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government is progressing steadily towards doubling the farmers' income by 2022 through a number of schemes such as the Soil Health Card Scheme, the Prime Minister's Krishi Sinchai Yojana, the Prime Minister's Crop Insurance Scheme and the Electronic National Agriculture Market (eNAM), the vice president noted.

In order to achieve progress in agriculture, he called for a change in perspective towards agriculture among the public and urged the youth to become proactive partners in promoting farming.