S. Rethinavelu, President, Agro Food Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Madurai

ALL VALUE ADDED PRODUCTS SHOULD BE ACCORDED EXCISE DUTY
EXEMPTION:
To arrest the unhealthy slide in our agricultural output and to make farming and processed food
manufacturing more attractive our Union government should exempt all agriculture based value
added products from excise duty in this year’s budget. This bold initiative will motivate farmers
to produce foodgrains required by the industrial sector and result in generation of more demand
for agricultural products and abundant additional employment opportunities in both farming and
food processing industrial sectors.
Lack of proper industry linkage and unremunerative prices for their produce has all along been
discouraging our farmers. Our Union government should therefore devise and float schemes not
only to transform farming operations more profitable but also to provide adequate subsidies and
incentives for farmers to engage in milk farming side by side to beget additional income. Milk
farming would also help our farmers to use natural manures for their crops at no extra cost rather
than solely depend on chemical fertilizers.
Excite duty exemption for all value added agricultural products coupled with schemes to create
sustained synergy between agricultural and industrial sectors and encouragement for farmers to
indulge in milk farming will provide the right platform for zero budget farming operations in our
country.
S. Rethinavelu,
President,
Agro Food Chamber of Commerce & Industry,
Madurai.