Events
& Issues
New Delhi, 20 December 2017
Besieged Farmers
DIVERSIFY, INCOME RAISE CRITICAL
By Dhurjati Mukherjee
Farmers continue to
agitate across the country for enhanced facilities for a better livelihood.
There is definitely a cause for these protests due to sluggishness in the farm
sector, resulting not just in declining incomes of farmers but also suicides
due to the inability to repay debts. Even the recently published second quarter
GDP growth results have shown that this sector grew by just 1.7%, slower than
the previous quarter’s 2.3% and below 4.1% in the second quarter of 2016-17.
At the same time,
though production has increased over the years, it is a fact that Indian
agriculture still suffers from low productivity. The need for greater focus on
agriculture is borne by the recent UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)
prediction that by 2030, most developing countries would be dependent on
imports from developed countries for their food requirements.
The government has
done little to rectify the escalating crisis except commission a report from
Agro-Economic Research Centre, which submitted a report in July 2017.
Protesting farmers are rightly demanding market driven price for their produce
in line with the Swaminathan Committee recommendations, of minimum support
price plus 50% profits. Though the BJP promised this in its election manifesto
of 2014, it has betrayed the farmers.
Meanwhile, over the years
technology no doubt, helped in raising production and productivity but it is
time that serious consideration is given to what agricultural experts have been
stressing i.e. on the need for a second green revolution, covering the Eastern
States where productivity even now is poor compared to national not to speak of
international standards. Similarly, diversification of agriculture is needed
for higher returns to farmers and increasing their income.
The ‘lab to land’
approach has been in the air for more than two decades, or even longer, but now
it appears that the government has shown some interest in making this a
reality. It is understood that from October last year, around 20,000
agricultural scientists will be required to divide their attention between
research and extension education to fulfil the Modi’s dream to revitalise the
farm sector.
The mandate has been
extended to about 6000 scientists functioning at the different centres of the
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and over 15,000 scientists
working with State agricultural universities under the programme Mere Gaon Mere Gaurav (MGMG). The scheme
envisages scientists to “select villages as per their convenience, remain in
touch with the villages and provide information to farmers on technical and
other related aspects in a time frame through personal visits or on telephone”.
It is understood that
groups of four multi-disciplinary scientists would perform the functions with
the help of Krishi Vigyan Kendras
(KVKs) and Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA), both already
mandated with extension work. At the national level, the Assistant DG
(extension) and principal scientists of Agricultural Extension of ICAR would be
nodal officers. The decision to set up mini labs in all the KVKs is indeed
quite encouraging though scientists as predicted are yet to be involved in a big
way.
Apart from research,
there is a necessity to curb imports. Take the case of pulses, considered the
poor man’s meat due to high protein value, wherein in 2017 amount of $4.2
billion were imported whereas edible oil was around $10.9 billion. Obviously,
agricultural scientists should evolve a plan of action at the earliest whereby
these imports could be brought down in the coming future. Meanwhile, pulses
production is expected to reach 20 million tonnes in the current financial year
from 16.47 million tonnes in previous year, which is a remarkable achievement.
But even then it must be kept in mind that the demand for pulses and edible oil
would increase over the years and must be noted.
There is also a need
for integration of horticultural plants with field crops like rice and also
pulses are extremely important to achieve inclusive growth so that together it
can boost agriculture sector production. The main objective for this
combination is to grow rice, pulse, kharif and rabi vegetables on the same
field during the same period of time, contributing towards nutritional security
and ensure soil sustainability in the long run.
Agricultural
scientists rightly pointed out that the main advantage is that vegetable crops
grown on the soil columns can make effective use of the resources applied on
the rice fields with reduced requirement of irrigation which makes it cost
effective. Thus, horticulture sector being an important component of high value
agriculture, its economic importance is increasing due to the ever increasing
demand both at national and international markets.
There is also need to
gear up agri mechanisation that has recently emerged as a strong driver of this
sector. The sale of tractors has increased significantly in past few years
while power tillers are widely used since these are effective in smaller areas
and reduce field levelling time considerably. The demand for rice transplanters
and laser land levellers are also expected to increase in future.
Thus diversification
of agri sector with value addition in horticulture, floriculture and spices and
on-farm processing for production of various types of oil, both for domestic
and export markets, is the need of the day to ensure higher incomes on a
sustained basis. However, oil seeds production is way below world average and
needs to be boosted with proper usage of micronutrients and mechanisation apart
from increasing processing centres with latest technology.
Besides, production
of fruits with an eye on the export market should also be given special
attention. Agricultural institutes should help small and medium farmers to
increase all-round production and productivity, specially of value added crops.
Demonstration farms would bring in more efficacies in helping increase output.
Reforming rural
economy is the key for bringing much-needed transformation that India needs
today. Primarily, the agricultural sector must be made viable through
diversification and induction of technological inputs. In addition, agro-based
industries that have high potential both in the country and abroad, if marketed
properly, would help. The government has demonstrated its ‘Make in India’ approach by putting thrust on khadi and handloom
industry to make it cater to latest fashions and young generation, both for
domestic and export markets. Likewise, the focus of attention has to shift to
modernisation and development of the agricultural sector.
The villages are our
lifeline and thus the initiatives taken by the government to transform farming
and also the rural sector as a whole should yield results, if there is
sincerity in implementing the schemes that have been taken up.
The coming years are
expected to be crucial for revival and rejuvenation of the farm sector as
making it viable would have a multiplier effect on incomes of small and
marginal farmers. The pro-GDP linked growth must be balanced with a thrust on
the agri sector, where there is need for expansion and simultaneously rural
rejuvenation and employment generation. ---INFA
(Copyright, India
News & Feature Alliance)
|