Union Budget 2020-21: Farm experts pitch for scrapping GST on agri-inputs in wish list

Removing of GST on agri-inputs, revamping crop insurance scheme, considering land lease rental for fixing MSP and banning futures trade in agri-commodities are among the suggestions made by farm experts during their pre-Budget meeting with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman New Delhi: Removing of GST on agri-inputs, revamping crop insurance scheme, considering land lease rental for fixing MSP and banning futures trade in agri-commodities are among the suggestions made by farm experts during their pre-Budget meeting with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. At the meeting here on Tuesday, they also pitched for measures to promote organic farming, cut import duty from 30 percent to zero on live embryo, animal and semen, tweaks in electronic National Agriculture Market and revisiting Food Security Act. The government should also expedite implementation of National Dairy Plan at the earliest and make a budgetary provision,” National Dairy Development Board Executive Director Arun Raste said. The farm experts also emphasised the need for expansion of multi-dimensional research in agriculture sector for the development of new technologies and further suggested for promoting start-ups at the institutes of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and agriculture universities for young students.