By IANS
Bhopal : Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has urged the prime minister to reconsider the union government’s decision to lift the ban on import of edible oil and maize products as it will affect soya cultivators in the country, official sources said Thursday.
In a letter sent to Manmohan Singh Wednesday, Chouhan asked him “to take necessary corrective measures immediately” and suggested the constitution of a task force to study the impact of the decision on farmers.
He said a policy should be formulated in consultation with the concerned state governments, farmers and those related to soya industry while taking into account the findings of the task force.
Describing the lifting of the ban on importing products prepared from genetically modified seeds as dangerous and detrimental to the economy of the state, Chouhan said that since agriculture in countries like the US was highly subsidised, the cost of products was also less than of those available in the domestic market.
Since most people will choose to buy the cheaper products, domestic soya product manufacturers and farmers would gradually be left with no market.