Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has expressed hope that the agriculture sector will clock six per cent growth this year. He was talking to experts from agriculture and other stake holders in this sector in the first Pre-Budget consultations in New Delhi . This is for the first time that the Finance Minister held discussions with the stake holders in the agriculture sector ahead of industry and economic experts. Participating in the meeting, the representatives from different sectors of agriculture made pleas for increased subsidies, encouraging bio fuels and tax exemptions to promote machanisation, exempt of octroi and mandi tax. Seventeen representatives from various fields of agriculture and allied sectors participated in the meeting. This meeting will be followed by Finance Minister's discussions with industry captains, including the representatives of chambers of commerce besides trade union leaders apart from economists. The representatives from banking and financial institutions will also exchange ideas with the Finance Minister ahead of Budget presentation.