With rainfall this year being much less than expected, specially in the green belt of Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, the threat of food crop production being affected looms large. In fact, June happened to be the driest month in the last 109 years, according to date released by the Indian Meteorological Department, with rainfall across the country being only 48% than the 93% projected.
The Punjab Government has expressed apprehensions that it might be unable to match its previous year’s contribution of rice to the Central pool. Given that only 19-20 lakh hectares are under paddy cultivation against the usual 27.5 lakh hectares, a drop of over 20%. In Haryana too paddy has been sown only in 5 to 7 hectares, 42-45%t less than area covered last year. Ditto in western and central UP where 20 districts have been declared a ‘black zone’ due to a drastic drop in the ground water level and a drought-like situation in 40 of 71 districts with 57% sub-normal rains. The situation in Bihar and Himachal Pradesh is the same.
With the Government now unable to reach last season’s procurement target of 30m tonnes of rice, it has banned rice and wheat exports to maintain the domestic price. Thus, the projected 4% growth in agriculture would dip, notwithstanding the impetus to pump money in the rural sector to enhance its prosperity.
Against the backdrop of less rainfall and climate changes there is need to think of ways to boost up agricultural growth through research and development, wherein rainfall is not the sole determining factor. Another, a second green revolution. This is all the more necessary in the face of a growing population where we require over 40m tonnes agricultural output by 2020. Studies of the first green revolution show that we need to go beyond 5 crops and a few States which benefited rich landlords while the conditions of small and marginal farmers remained same.
Whether the second green revolution would be able to encompass all categories of farmers and incorporate the agricultural sector as a whole remains to be seen. However, urgent reforms are needed for efficient use of resources, conservation of soil, water and ecology, introduction of newer technologies, encourage production and use of bio-fertilizers, application of bio-genetics for improved plant and horticultural products. The 11th Plan has underscored measures for taking agriculture to 4% annual growth.
Apart from making technology available to small farmers, the other measures include improving water management, rainwater harvesting and watershed development; reclaiming degraded land for cultivation and soil quality; bridging rich-poor gap; diversify into high-value fruits, flowers, medicinal plants, bio-diesel etc.; access to credit at affordable rates, enhance incentive structure and functioning of markets, farmers’ cooperatives as in Gujarat and Maharashtra.
Besides, strengthen existing Krishi Vigyan Kendras and set-up new Kendras at the block levels, reinforce animal husbandry and fisheries, rain-fed areas converted into mono-crop zones, dryland farming encouraged, create infrastructure for preservation of fruits and vegetables, facilitate adoption of improved knowledge on production and value addition by farmers.
Further, organize farmers’ development, specially inculcate leadership qualities and support their organizations to take up new initiatives like technology applications etc, skill training and entrepreneurship development; value addition of agricultural products, both at the industry and farmers level; innovative marketing network, including development of future market, improve delivery of support services at the district and block levels through better coordination of various agencies and explore options for private-public partnership in district planning.
Significantly, already around 183-190 experiential learning units have been set up at 43 agricultural universities in different parts of the country to impart requisite training so that the benefits of research percolate down to the block and panchayat level to benefit all categories of farmers.
However, the crucial thing that remains to be ensured is that returns from agriculture have to be monitored so that the farming community is not put in a precarious situation and mounting debts do not lead them to suicide.
Needless to state, that the potential of Indian agriculture gained importance since former President Kalam, highlighted the same at the triennial conference of the Global Forum on Agricultural Research at New Delhi in 2006 as also various forums. Since then several workshops have been held, including the Second Green Revolution Summit at Kolkata last year. All emphasized that the second revolution should reach all corners of the country and should ensure financial inclusion of small and marginal farmers by providing the technological inputs to increase and/or diversify their production.
In sum, there is no gainsaying that the present Budget has allocated lot of funds for rural infrastructure development which would go a long way in helping agriculture and agro- processing. If this could be developed along with research inputs, stress on dryland farming and diversification of crops to facilitate that it reaches the grass root levels there is hope that Indian agriculture may reach the desired growth target in the coming years. Clearly, a proper plan of action needs to be evolved in this direction with specific directions for both high-yielding and low-yielding areas. —INFA
Friday, November 22, 2024