Agriculture sector safe, Indo-US trade deal propoganda is false: Fadnavis

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has kept the agriculture sector safe from global competition amid claims of false propaganda linked to the recently inked Indo-US trade deal.Speaking while addressing a mega exhibition organised by the state animal husbandry department at Parli in Beed district, Fadnavis said: "False propaganda is being spread that our market has been opened up for American agriculture. I would like to assert, and it has been clearly stated by the PM, that the deal would be signed excluding agriculture. That country (the United States) cannot bring their agri produce here and cause a drop in domestic prices," he said.Fadnavis also said false propaganda about the trade deal had started impacting soyabean prices. "Soyabean prices dropped by Rs 500 per quintal due to rumours and misinformation. I would like to tell the soyabean producers and market players not to believe the rumours, and instead show such rumour mongers their place," he said.Announcing the govt aim to increase the growth rate of the animal husbandry sector from the current 4-8% to 25%, the chief minister said modernisation of 2,841 veterinary clinics in the state will be carried out, and a network of mobile veterinary ambulance services will be established. He also announced the revival of the state-run skimmed milk powder plant in Udgir in Latur district by offering Rs 100 crore.Speaking on the occasion, cabinet minister Pankaja Munde, who holds the animal husbandry portfolio, said her department is planning to launch the 'Chief Minister's Rural Livestock Entrepreneur Scheme' to make rural youths entrepreneurs. "We recently granted animal husbandry the status of agriculture. This will help livestock owners get loans at reduced rates and also avail different subsidies. In future, animal husbandry would be a sustained source of employment," she said.