THE next year will be no better than the present one in the absence of a proper agriculture policy. At a time when produc-tion costs are going up and rates of various crops are on a downward trajectory, nothing seems to be working in favour of the growers, who are facing erratic weather patterns.

Water rate and power tariff have shot up; a `super` tax has been levied on the farm income over and above RsO.6m, while to protect urban consumers of flour, the government is fining those who try to seII their wheat at more than Rs2,900 per 40kg. Wheat sowing this season has been 30 per cent less than the last year because of the uncertainty gripping the grain market. • AM