Agricultural sector in India requires an out of the box thinking keeping in mind the criticality of this sector.
Here we have come up with the ten new thoughts chain which can rebuild the Indian Agriculture, as it does not need any more ‘Green or Rainbow’ revolution.
GENETIC ENGINEERED FARMING
At first, to start with a small but major input is of scientific/modern genetic engineered farming, which is very crucial for India’s future in farming.
It is usually argued by the biotech proponents that Genetic Engineered crops will mean more nutritious foods in terms of protein/vitamin enriched or fortified foods. While one and a half decades of commercial cultivation of genetically modified crops and years of research has not given us any evidence of that. Although, there has been evidence that GE crops might mean altered nutritional composition in several products in Indian agriculture.
MIDDLEMEN SYNDRONE
Selling of agricultural commodities at present is under the APMC’s of the respective state government. Farmers would need to be sensitized towards accessing those markets which will get them a better pricing. This will also do away with the insufficient middlemen syndrome, intermediaries who are majorly responsible for distortion.As we all know, economy’s backbone is the indian agriculture,hence it is of utmost importance that, such disparity should be removed.
CONTRACT FARMING
Contract farming allows direct contact of the farmer with the market. Under this, the land is with the farmer except that, production of a crop is under a ‘contract’ with a buyer directly who also has the responsibility of providing necessary inputs and also picking up the produce whenever ready. The use of contracts has become attractive to many farmers because the arrangement can offer both an assured market and access to production support.
CROP MAPPING
Today in indian agriculture, what we need is the complete mapping of soils across the length and breadth of the country with the data of climate, rainfall suitability and then the cropping pattern should be decided. Today, technology information is available to allow soil and climate based cropping pattern. However, the application of the crop mapping is still limited.
ECONOMIC ZONES
Need of growth will start to encroach upon land for setting up the special economic zones, powerplants, building roads, etc., which means in future the land available for agriculture would gradually be reduced. Formation of Special Economic Zone (SEZ) using agricultural land to promote industrialization has recently been one of most controversial policy issues in many developing economies including India.
For better understaning in Indian Agriculture ,see the ’Fact Sheet on Special Economic Zones’ at http://www.sezindia.nic.in
GOVERNMENT DECLARATION
There is an increasing trend amongst farmers in the belief of agriculture as non-viable and unprofitable provided, the increasing cost of production. In recent times, the government is also declaring large land areas as non-agriculture to support industrial growth.
FARMING-CUM-FORESTRY
The land reforms which have been an avowed objective since Independence, but little has been done and still lesser achieved. There is a need for this to be prioritized by the state governments. Adding to this, India also has large waste land area which could be given to rural landless people on ownership basis at free of cost for integrated farming-cum-forestry operations. This would serve the objective of utilization of waste land besides giving the landless farmers a source of livelihood.
PUBLIC INVESTMENT
Current agriculture sector is starved of investment and it receives as little as 0.3% of GDP. There is an urgent need to setup public investment in irrigation ,roads,power and public health. A significant increase in expenditure on irrigation system in less developed states has helped to arrest deceleration in productivity growth and stimulated private investment. However, capital intensity in indian agriculture has not increased in a significant way that could partly explain a slow pace of growth in many states. The data suggests that there is large interstate variation in public spending, implying that the developed states tend to spend more on agriculture compared to the less developed agriculturally dependent states.
DISTRICT PRIORITIZATION
Today strategy for indian agriculture would have to be broken down to the last unit which is the village or at best district level. Issues at each district level would need to be prioritized and then efforts should be made for their resolution. Furthermore, crop mapping can also be a huge refrence in district prioritization.
Addionally, governmnet should take several steps to improve agricultural institutions:-
clarify roles and responsibilities at central level by bringing key policy areas under a single umbrella
strengthen co-ordination among central ministries and agencies and between the centre and the states to uplift indian agriculture
prioritise institutional reforms to allow development of a single market for agricultural products
Indian agriculture is a supportive pillar for the economy, it needs major attention from the government. Adding to this, several economic zone-research work funding should be alloted.
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