Government on Monday made it clear that it was not in a position to take 'new responsibilities' of farm loan waivers and would strive to implement the scheme announced in this year's Budget.

"We are not in a position to take new responsibilities till the present commitments (Rs 60,000 crore farm loan waiver package) are implemented," Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said replying to supplementaries in the Lok Sabha.

He said that the government had no specific scheme to cover loans taken from moneylenders or deal with the issue of landholdings more than those covered by the farm loan waiver package.

"Let us first implement the farm loan waiver scheme presented in the Budget and see the results," Pawar said noting that more than 81 per cent farmers fall in the small and medium categories which were covered under the package.

He also rejected Opposition's claim that farmers were being cheated by the loan waiver scheme.

Replying to a separate query, the minister said wheat research institutes and agriculture universities are carrying out research to develop a black rust resistant variety of wheat.

Recently, the Food and Agriculture Organisation had issued an advisory warning wheat producing nations about the spread of the black rust disease causing virus.

"The said virus has not reached India or its neighbouring countries," Pawar said, adding that the disease was first detected in 1976 and is prevalent in Uganda, Yemen and Kenya.

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