Minister for Cooperation S.T. Somashekhar on Sunday said that the State government has been taking pragmatic measures, including issuing crop loans from the cooperative institutions to farmers, to boost the health of the agriculture sector.
He visited the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) yard in Ramanagaram town on Sunday. Speaking to presspersons, he said the government would issue crop loans from cooperative institutions to the tune of ₹13,000 crore during the current financial year. Last year, loans worth ₹13,000 were issued to farmers.
According to the Minister, the government is committed to uplifting the COVID-19-hit farming sector through some pragmatic measures.
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Infrastructure at all APMC yards/markets has been improved and ‘Green Passes’ have been issued to ensure that agriculturists sell/transport their produce without any hindrances, he claimed.
He said that any grower can sell any produce at APMCs from 3 a.m. to 1 p.m. They will be provided masks and sanitisers, he added.
Mr. Somashekhar also hinted that the government was helping horticulturists get compensation for their unsold produce.
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The government will shortly release guidelines for issuing crop loans to growers, he said, adding that the Department of Agriculture would survey the crop loss owing to the reduced demand for the likes of capsicum and lemon.