Thaindian News

New Delhi, Apr 20 (ANI): The Central Government is hopeful of maintaining a growth rate of around four percent in the agriculture sector this year.Inaugurating the National Conference of Cooperative Ministers here today, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said that the sector grew by 5.6 percent in 2010-11 against the target of four percent.Pawar said that with the country expecting record food grain production this year, the government can think of allowing limited exports of wheat. Emphasising that the international prices are favourable for allowing exports, Pawar said that around 25 million tonnes of wheat is expected to be procured by Food Corporation of India this year, which is far more than the buffer norm of seven million tonnes.Expressing satisfaction over the disbursement of agriculture credit to the farmers, he said that the credit flow to farmers till February this year was 21 percent higher than the target.He was also of the view that the cooperatives should be considered essentially as an economic enterprises, which should be member driven institutions. He apprised the State Ministers that the Government of India has initiated various measures to reform the cooperatives to make them vibrant, viable and democratic institutions with active participation of members to enable them to face the challenges of competitive global economy. He further said that the major initiatives taken by the Central Government include enunciation of National Policy on Cooperatives, enactment of the Multi-State Cooperatives Societies Act, 2002 and its proposed amendment to provide greater functional autonomy to cooperatives.The steps taken by Union Government to reform the cooperative sector were supported by the State Ministers of Cooperation, who assured that the State Governments would take necessary action to make the cooperatives in their State become economically viable to serve their members more effectively. (ANI)