Bihar polls: Nitin Gadkari blames global economy for agrarian distress

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday attributed the agrarian distress in India which has driven thousands of farmers to suicide to the ldquoglobal economy run on the principle of demand and supplyrdquo news agency PTI reportedSpeaking at a rally in pollbound Supaul District of Bihar the former Bharatiya Janata Party BJP President was canvassing for Bijendra Yadav a senior minister in the Nitish Kumar Government and a veteran Janata Dal United leaderldquoWe are faced with a situation where cotton is cheap but clothes are expensive Fruits like oranges and apples are sold at low prices while juices are costly We are part of a global economy where prices are dictated by demand and supplyrdquo said the Member of Parliament MP NagpurThe Union Road Transport and Highways Minister who emphasised that ldquomy heart lies in agriculturerdquo acknowledged that farmersrsquo economic conditions are not as strong as they should be PTI reportedldquoIn my constituency alone 10000 farmers have committed suicide But technology provides a way forward This is what we aim to achieve through the Agro Vision initiativerdquo he addedGadkari also highlighted his credentials in agriculture noting that he has received 14 honorary D Litts seven of which were awarded for contributions to the sectorldquoWhen I speak about agriculture please consider my experience and the recognition I have receivedrdquo he saidHe outlined a vision for technological innovations to transform farmers from mere ldquoannadata food providersrdquo to ldquourjadata energy providersrdquo and ldquoindhandata fuel providersrdquo Gadkari detailed how ethanol production has enabled the utilisation of surplus food grainsldquoCorn which previously had a market value of Rs 1200 per quintal now fetches Rs 2800 due to ethanol production Earlier corn prices were stagnant In our global economy corn prices are influenced by the US soya bean by Argentina and sugar and palm oil by Brazil and Malaysiardquo he saidReferring to former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastrirsquos slogan ldquoJai Jawan Jai Kisanrdquo Gadkari added ldquoPrime Minister Narendra Modi has added lsquoJai Anusandhanrsquo ndash hail innovationrdquoHe noted that vehicles in the country now run on ethanol produced from sugarcane waste a costeffective and environmentally friendly alternative to petrol and dieselGadkari also recalled his role in laying the foundation of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana during the Vajpayee governmentldquoHad the people not voted for us Narendra Modi would not have become Prime Minister nor would I have secured a cabinet berthrdquo he saidWith PTI inputs