Currency ban casts shadow on Chandigarh agri fair --- TOP Report

Farmers at the Agro-Tech 2016 on its first day at Parade Ground in Chandigarh on Saturday. 
                                                                                                                                                        

Times Of Punjab

Chandigarh, November 19

Amid cash crunch being faced by the farm sector following demonetisation by the Centre, the 12th edition of the four-day Agro Tech, 2016, which is being organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), today started with thin attendance of visitors.

Despite the fact that the CII isn’t charging any entry fee from visitors to visit 139 exhibit sites — 92 domestic and 47 international — the pavilion was dominated by the presence of representatives of companies exhibiting their products in the pavilion spanned over 16,000 sq m. 

“The visitors’ footfall this time is not even 50 per cent of what it used to be in earlier editions. Obviously, it is due to demonetisation move. Everybody has to arrange new currency notes before leaving his city. Overall, the business sentiment is down. This affected this event also,” said Jagatjit Singh Passi, Managing Director, Charlie Agricultural Sprayers, who exports high-end large-sized insecticide sprayers to African and several Asian countries. 

Rajdeep Singh, Manager (International Business), National Agro Industries, said, “Production of paddy in Punjab this year was quite good. One can expect good footfall at such events after good crop output. But it was otherwise on the first day of the fair. It is probably due to banning of old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes.” 

The CII is organizing the event in partnership with the Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries and the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare along with Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).

 The pavilion has been compartmentalized into six different zones showcasing newer innovations and techniques in the fields of farm technology, agri inputs, livestock, food technology, farm implements and irrigation and water management techniques. 

Apart from 15 states, countries like Israel, Canada, Germany and England have also set their exhibits in the Agro Tech pavilion.

Co-op societies told to provide seed to farmers 

Chandigarh: The Punjab Government on Friday directed the state Cooperative Department to provide wheat seeds and farm inputs even to those farmers who couldn’t renew their credit limits this season due to demonetization. An official spokesperson, however, said only farmers, whose credit accounts before the Kharif 2016 was clear, could avail the benefit. There are around 10 lakh account holders registered with over 3,500 state credit cooperative societies, which provide loan and farm inputs at subsidized rates to farmers. Due to acute shortage of cash, such account holders were not able to renew their credit limits for the wheat sowing season by repaying the loan they had taken at the beginning of the paddy sowing season. “If farmers are not provided subsidized wheat seed and farm inputs at this juncture, it can also affect wheat production in the state. Therefore, all cooperative societies have been directed to provide seed and inputs to farmers,” said the spokesperson. TOP