Farmers express dissatisfaction over the budget 2013

01 March, 2013

Finance Minister P. Chidambaram has increased the agriculture credit target to the farmers from last year's 5.75 lakh crores to 7 lakh crores for the next fiscal year starting April 01, 2013. The increase in the allocation is 15%.

However, farmers have expressed dissatisfaction over the hike of 15% saying that the burden of inflation has jumped by 33% to 35%, so the increase in the agri credit in comparision to the inflation is irrelevant.

“We have not got any relief from the budget. Last year, they have alloted 5.75 lakh crore, this year it is 7 lakh crores rupees. The increase is just 15%. However, the inflation is up by 33% to 35%, said Satwant Singh, a farmer as reported by nnis.

Farmers are unhappy that the finance minister didn't notice the hike in prices of urea and diesel while allocating the fund for the agriculture.

“The price of urea has increased by 70-80 rupees per sack and diesel by 10 rupees a litre. But the allocation made in the budget is not in the ratio of the hike in urea and the diesel,” said Amandeep Singh, a farmer.

In the budget for the fiscal year 2013-14 an outlay of Rs 27,049 crore has been proposed for the agriculture ministry. This is 22 per cent more than last year's revised estimates. Out of the total outlay, Rs 3,415 crore will be provided for agricultural research.

From the overall allocation of Rs 27,049 the budget has proposed that Rs 307 crore will be earmarked for the National Livestock Mission, which is slated to be launched this fiscal year. The objective of National Livestock Mission is to attract investment and enhance productivity, taking into consideration the local agro-climatic conditions.