Explore PPP model in agriculture on large scale: Pawar

New Delhi. India should explore the Public- Private-Parternship model on a large scale in the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17) to sustain momentum of higher foodgrain production in the coming years, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said today. He also said higher investment in agriculture and allied sectors was necessary to achieve food security and improve farm incomes. Besides, APMC Acts need to be amended to encourage setting up of private markets and contract farming. Addressing the 57th meeting of National Development Council (NDC), Pawar said: "The private public partnership (PPP) model should be explored on a larger and wider scale." The Centre's strategy for agriculture for 12th Plan would comprise assuring remunerative prices to farmers, facilitating a greater role for the private sector in farm sector, focus on small and marginal farmers through promotion of farmer interest groups and farmers producer companies, he said. The government will also emphasise on ensuring supply of quality seeds at reasonable prices, making other inputs available on a timely basis, pushing crop diversification besides providing more credit facilities, Pawar said. That apart, concerted efforts will be made for improving productivity in rain-fed areas and creating a more competitive environment for agricultural marketing, he added. Stressing the need to improve irrigation facilities, Pawar said: "It is extremely important that ongoing irrigation projects are completed on time, without cost & time overruns." With about 55 per cent area still dependent on rains for agriculture, the focus should be on development of dryland, rainfed areas and water harvesting, he said. Noting that drought proofing of the agriculture sector still remains elusive, the minister said, "...issues of improving water use efficiency, micro irrigation and coordinated efforts of various agencies of government towards rainfed agriculture have to be addressed in the coming years." On farmers' suicides, Pawar said, "Though the declining trend of farmers' suicides is a matter of some satisfaction, we cannot remain complacent. We have to redouble our efforts to address the problem of agrarian distress in certain parts of the country." The government needs to make all efforts to realise the 12th Plan's broad vision of 'Faster, Sustainable, and More Inclusive Growth', leading to improvement in socio-economic condition of people, he added. He also said that the oilseed sector continues to be an area of concern where the country's dependence on imports of edible oil is rising. Stressing the need to give impetus to research efforts in agriculture, Pawar said that number of new initiatives would be taken during the 12th Plan period. New schemes would also be launched to boost livestock sector. He urged the state governments to fill up all vacant posts created after modification of guidelines of 'Support to State Extension Programmes for Extension Reforms' scheme on priority basis.