Govt. allows farmers to purchase seeds with old high denomination notes

New Delhi: The government has decided to allow the farmers to purchase seeds with the old high denomination notes of Rs. 500 from the centers, units or outlets belonging to the Centre or state governments, Public Sector Undertakings, National or State Seeds Corporations, Central or State Agricultural Universities and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) on production of proof of identity in order to further support the farmers for the current Rabi crop. This is in addition to the decision taken earlier for making cash available with the farmers by permitting them to draw up to Rs. 25,000 per week from their Know Your Customer(KYC) compliant accounts subject to the normal loan limits and conditions apart from the other facilities announced on November 17. The government is committed to ensure that the farmers are suitably facilitated during the Rabi season. In the wake of the demonetisation move, the opposition parties have called on the Centre to keep the farmers out of the move as they need money to purchase fertilisers and seeds. There is a widespread panic among farmers, who had recently harvested their paddy crop and are preparing for the next Rabi season. They fear that in the absence of new currency notes, they will miss out on the crucial sowing time. This is the most crucial time for the farmers when they not only sell their paddy crops, but also make purchases for seeds, fertilisers and diesel for the next seasonal crop.