Shillong, Mar 18: The Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) has urged the state government to waive farmers’ loans to reduce the hardship faced by them due to adverse climatic conditions.
Pointing out that farmers in Mawkynrew and Mawryngkneng blocks are at the receiving end as they could not repay the bank loans owing to climatic conditions in which their crops are dying due to scarcity of rain, the FKJGP Mawkyrew Circle sought the intervention of agriculture and farmers’ welfare minister Ampareen Lyngdoh.
In a letter addressed to Lyngdoh on Tuesday, FKJGP Mawkynrew circle president Shakanstar Mynsong said, “We urge upon the state government to find ways and means to waive the loans, which will really help address the problems faced by the farmers.”
The FKJGP also alleged that non-availability of fertilisers, government’s failure to provide seeds, and delay in release of financial assistance to farmer producer groups (PGs) even one year of registration, have affected the farmers in the state.
The other issues highlighted by the organisation include the need to distribute spray pump, high yielding variety seeds, information about the different schemes for farmers and to speed up financial help to farmers affected by natural calamities.
