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29.02.2016
Will double farm income by 2022: PM
Asks State governments to give priority to agriculture.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged the State governments to
give priority to agriculture even as he pledged to “double the income of
farmers” by 2022, to mark India’s 75 years of independence.
To attain that goal, Mr. Modi said the Centre had adopted a scientific
approach to farming and urged farmers to utilise the various agricultural
initiatives introduced by his government.
“Today, the farmer is facing numerous challenges. The family size is
increasing and land is being divided into smaller units. The share of each
family member is shrinking. The farmer is wondering if in future he will
have enough land to divide further...but these challenges can be transformed
into opportunities,” Mr. Modi said at a Kisan Kalyan rally in Bareilly.
Fleshing out a formula for productive agriculture, Mr. Modi stressed the
need to divide farming practices into three sectors, traditional farming, tree
or timber plantation (along the periphery and borders of fields) and livestock
rearing.
“We have to import large quantities of timber each year. If farmers plant
timber on the outer edges of their fields, in 15-20 years they will see results.
You can sell a tree and use the amount to get your daughters married,” Mr.
Modi said.
Mr. Modi said that whenever States had taken interest in agriculture, an
unprecedented growth was achieved.
The Prime Minister praised the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led government for
its irrigation and farming schemes for the turnaround in the agriculture
sector.
Stating that farmers could no longer sustain their families through farming
alone, and were now sending their children to work in cities, Mr. Modi said
to ensure the economic growth of the country, focus needed to be given to
all “three pillars,” agriculture, manufacturing and service sectors. He saw
tourism as an avenue for jobs in rural areas.
Listing the Centre’s steps to get better prices for farmers, Mr. Modi hit out at
the State governments for misusing funds allocated for the Mahatma Gandhi
National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
He appealed to the States to use MGNREGS funds to support agriculture.
Workshop on terrace gardening on March. 4
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University Information and Training Centre is
conducting a workshop on terrace gardening on March 4.
Time: From 9.30 a.m. to 4.30 pm. The programme will be held at No: U-30,
10th Street, Anna Nagar.
For details, call 044 - 26263484.
KVASU to launch safe-to-eat products
The Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU) will
launch the safe-to-eat products developed as a part of start-up village project
on March 1.
Products such as rice, milk, vegetables and egg will be available in the first
stage. Initially, 30 entrepreneurs of Pullazhi kole, Thrissur, are involved in
the start-up village project.
These products would be made available through different outlets of the
university and Pullazhi Kole Sahakarana Sangham, said Dr. T.P.
Sethumadhavan Director Entrepreneurship of KVASU and principal
investigator of start-up village project.
“The start-up village project envisage to produce agri and livestock products
with less than permissible limits of antibiotic and pesticide residues. It will
be ascertained in the nationally accredited laboratories of KVASU.”
Move to market organic or pesticide-free products at a premium price would
facilitate farmers to get better profit margins even with the low productivity,
he added.
The university started implementing this project in 2014-2015 under the
State plan project in the Kole lands of the district. Thrissur Pullazhi kole
land was selected for the project.
Start-up village is a unique project of KVASU, facilitating the concept of
safe-to-eat. The Directorate of Entrepreneurship at KVASU is implementing
this programme with the support of Thrissur Urban Development Authority
and Pullazhi Kole Sahakarana Sangham.
The project envisages to make convergence of agriculture, livestock and
fisheries sector and to produce safe-to-eat products. The products will be
marketed under the KVASU.
Aid by KVASU
The KVASU supplied fodder slips, de-wormers and mineral mixtures to
improve productivity. Along with dairying, measures were taken to produce
and market organic eggs, broiler chicken, vegetables, fishes, organic rice,
inputs for organic farming like dried garden manure, vegetable manure, and
biodynamic mixture.
Therambil Ramakrishnan, MLA, will launch the products on March 1, at St.
Joseph Church Hall, Pullazhi. Mayor Ajitha Jayaraj will preside over the
function.
Farmers receive solar pump-sets free of cost
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Union Minister M. Venkaiah
Naidu handing over the allotment letter for solar pump-set to a farmer in
Nellore.— PHOTO: By Arrangement
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu handed over allotment letter
pertaining to a solar pump-set to one of the 123 SC/ST beneficiaries, Swarna
Guravaiah, during his visit to the Genco power plant at Krishnapatnam here
on Saturday.
The Chief Minister handed over the letter in the presence of Union Minister
for Urban Development M. Venkaiah Naidu, Union Minister of Power, Coal
and New & Renewable Energy Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar, and Union
Minister for Earth Sciences, Science & Technology Y.S. Chowdary.
Meenakshi Energy Private Limited (MEPL) came forward to implement the
solar initiative as part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Two Tata
solar pump-sets worth Rs. 7.3 lakh were given free of cost to eight farmers
to irrigate 10 acres of land at Dumpavaripalli of Thirumalapuram gram
panchayat as part of a pilot project.
Later, the MEPL decided to supply 121 solar pump-sets in two phases by
paying the beneficiaries’ share of Rs. 55,000 under the NTR Jala Siri
Programme partnering with the authorities in this renewable platform by
spending Rs. 66,55,000.
Imported machinery for use in Polavaram works arrives
It will help in expediting project works, says Irrigation Minister
Minister for Irrigation Devineni Umamaheswara Rao receiving the imported
equipment that will be commissioned in the execution of the Polavaram
project, in Nellore on Sunday.— PHOTO: K. RAVIKUMAR
Amid high expectations and aspirations, the heavy machinery imported from
Germany and the U.S. for the purpose of using it in the prestigious
Polavaram project works was received by Minister for Irrigation Devineni
Umamaheswara Rao here on Sunday in the presence of scores of farmer
leaders, ruling party activists, and officials.
Transported from the Chennai port, the equipment and machinery was
carried in nearly a dozen trucks on the National Highway via Nellore.
Honouring the sentiment of farmers and leaders, Mr. Umamaheswara Rao
arrived in Nellore early in the morning to formally receive the machinery
and also offer prayers as per tradition.
Former Minister and MLC Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy, MLC Beeda
Ravichandra, senior leaders Adala Prabhakar Reddy, Anam Vivekananda
Reddy, Mungamuru Sridhar Krishna Reddy, and scores of others arrived at
the venue.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Umamaheswara Rao held out an assurance to
the people of the State that all humanly possible efforts, including
deployment of imported heavy machinery, were being made to get the
national project of Polavaram completed by 2018 in accordance with the
wishes of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
Mr. Rao recalled that Polavaram was a long-cherished dream of the farmers
of the State considering the fact that it would complete the linking of the
Godavari and the Krishna river systems, thereby offering a permanent
solution to the drought and crop failure problems in the coastal and
Rayalaseema regions as well.
Polavaram was the only lifeline that would help save at least 100 tmcft of
water out of the total 1,600 tmcft of water wastefully going into the sea from
the Godavari every year, he added.
Stating that the machinery was a key to the fast execution of the project
works, Mr. Umamaheswara Rao said that the high-end equipment would be
used to construct a strong and sturdy diaphragm wall for 1.7 km Polavaram
dam with high efficiency and in less time.
Mr. Chandramohan Reddy asserted that the TDP Government was
committed to implementing its promises so much so that the Polavaram
project was being pursued with greater effort.
He termed it as a good beginning that crops could be raised in over 10 lakh
acres in Nellore district this season, thanks to better management of water
resources.
Forest Dept. reclaims 25 acres of land near Bannerghatta
With the eviction of 25 acres of encroachments on Sunday, the Forest
Department took another step towards reclaiming a “lost forest” spanning
nearly 540 acres near Bannerghatta.
Though the Bhootanahalli Minor Forest area was notified as a minor forest
in 1934, the department remained unaware of the declaration as the
notification did not “exist” as per their records. In the decades since, it had
been granted to numerous persons, farmers and even labourers involved in
the construction of the Krishnaraja Sagara, said Forest officials.
However, the area surfaced in the A.T. Ramaswamy report on
encroachments around Bengaluru in 2007. The department then filed
criminal charges, while the landowners filed civil cases against the
department.
“In many cases, the court ruled in our favour, and we have started to cordon
off these lands,” said Arun Kumar C.R., Anekal Range Forest Officer.
With eviction orders in hand, officials reclaimed nearly 25 acres after a
three-day drive which concluded on Sunday.
The drive will continue in the coming months, with the department aiming to
recover another 25 acres, said officials. While the department has so far
recovered nearly 105 acres, many land parcels are still in litigation.
Many of the farmers who have been granted land have also staked their
claim on the forest land under the Forest Rights Act, said officials.
Linking of rivers to help Theni farmers
In a first major step towards inter-linking rivers in the State, the 18th
channel will be extended to a distance of 14.1 km in Bodi block. The new
extension work will ultimately connect both Periyar and Kottakudi rivers in
the district benefitting several villages, mostly in rain-fed areas of the
district.
Extension of the 18th channel to a distance of 14.1 km in Bodi block will be
the first major step in the State in inter-linking rivers. The new extension
work will ultimately connect both Periyar and Kottakudi rivers in the district
benefiting several villages, mostly in rain-fed areas of the district.
At present, the 39 km-long 18th channel, which starts at head works of
Vairavanar check dam in Uthamapalayam block and ends at
Renganathapuram in Bodi taluk, has been used to fill up Periyar water in 44
irrigation tanks to recharge groundwater and to irrigate 4,614.25 acres at 13
villages indirectly.
Under the new scheme, the existing channel will be extended to a distance of
14.1 km at an estimated cost of Rs.52.8 crore and connected with Kovalinga
River, a tributary to Kottakudi river that was already inter-linked with
Vaigai river.
On completion of the project, this channel will interlink Kottakudi and
Vaigai rivers with Periyar river. Water diverted from Periyar river at head
works will ultimately reach Vaigai river through 18th channel and Kottakudi
river after passing through dry belts of Bodi and Thevaram blocks. The new
extension channel will be used to fill six major irrigation tanks, including
Kattabommankulam, Kottaikulam, Kamaraja Boobala Samudram Kanmai,
Kappanurani, Vannanurani and Sulapuram tank. Besides, 4,794.704 acres,
mostly rain-fed areas in Bodinayakkanur, Thevaram, Pottipuram,
Rasingapuram, Silamalai and Melasokkanathapuram will benefit.
Above all, 585 irrigation wells will also be recharged. Digging work
commenced immediately after Chief Minister Jayalalithaa laid a foundation
stone for this project through video conferencing on Saturday.
All necessary equipment and workforce were kept ready and the work would
be done on a war footing to bring it to public use, said PWD officials.
Extension of the 18th channel was a long-pending demand of farmers and its
water will assure at least single crop in a year to farmers in this block.
The PWD has been releasing 296 cusecs of water per year in 18th channel to
recharge tanks.
Moreover, the new channel will feed domestic and wild animals as it passes
along foot hills of Western Ghats.
Saving healthy cattle from going to the slaughterhouses
Healthy cattle which otherwise could have ended in slaughterhouses resting
in peace and comfort in the natural environs of Nandivana on the outskirts
ofKalaburagi.— PHOTO: ARUN KULKARNI
Nandivana, a private initiative to establish a unique cattle shed, which has
saved hundreds of healthy cattle from ending up in slaughterhouses from
drought-hit villages in Kalaburgi district and opened the eyes of the State
government to the problems being faced by distress-stricken farmers, would
be completing 100 days on March 1.
Nandivana established in an 18 acre farmland on the outskirts of Kalaburgi
which once housed more than 1,800 head of cattle is now providing succour
to 1,500 head of cattle. The uniqueness of the cattle shed, unlike in the
government-run cattle shed, is that the farmer who owns cattle is allowed to
stay in the cattle shed with his animal. Also, he is provided food three times
free.
Basavaraj Diggavi, Chief of the Smt. Sharanamma Diggavi Memorial Trust,
who established the Nandivana in the land owned by him, told The
Hindu here on Sunday that the trust now proposes to continue the initiative
till June 10 this year and beyond, if there were any delay in the onset of
monsoon.
Mr. Diggavi said, “We propose to celebrate the 100 days of Nandivana in a
different way by taking out a procession of cattle from Nandivana to the
office of the Deputy Commissioner on March 1 and felicitate Deputy
Commissioner Vipul Bansal for his help in setting up Nandivana and saving
precious, healthy cattle.”
The average expenditure in maintaining the cattle shed and providing fodder,
and food to farmers who stay there with their cattle, was around Rs. 1.5 lakh
per day. “We have now finalised purchasing fodder to meet the demand till
June 10. We have requested the district administration to provide 1,000
tonnes of fodder at the price given to farmers to partially meet the demand,”
he said.
Mr. Diggavi said that the trust had also finalised purchasing more than 2,000
tonnes of withering sugarcane in around 260 acres of land in Afzalpur,
Aland and other parts of the district to be served as fodder to cattle housed in
the cattle shed. Apart from the 1,000 tonnes of sugarcane, bagasse is being
purchased from the Mahatma Gandhi Cooperative Sugar Factory in Bhalki
in Bidar district at a rate of Rs. 1,100 per tonne as against the market price of
Rs. 1,800 per tonne.
He said that Nandivana proposes to stock fodder to meet the demand till
June 10 to feed around 4,000 head of cattle per day. “We expect the cattle
arrivals at Nandivana to increase in the days to come as the drought situation
is expected to deteriorate further,” he added.
Nandivana, a unique initiative in Kalaburagi, also serves food to farmers
who choose to stay with their cattle
Onion farmers hit by sharp fall in price
The onion farmers in the Medak district are a distressed lot due to a sharp
fall in the price of the commodity in the markes.
Dip in onion price; ryots at the receiving end
The onion farmers in Medak district are at the receiving end with fall in
prices of onions in the market. Though the government has initiated the
process of sanctioning identity cards for the onion farmers so that they can
sell the produce in Rythu Bazaars, it was stated that the benefit would be for
limited number of farmers whereas majority of them were left with no
option, but to sell it to middlemen at whatever the price they were offered.
With onions sale going for Rs. 60 per kg in the recent past and with a hope
that they would get good dividends, the farmers have opted for onion
cultivation and the cultivation area was increased from 3,850 hectares in last
year to 5,112 hectares this year. But by the time, the produce could reach the
market, the prices have fallen to the bottom level and at some places the
price is as low as Rs. 2 per kg. However, middlemen were able to sell for
better at open market locations.
Out of the total 500 farmers in Narayanakhed constituency, only 168 farmers
were issued identity cards while it was stated that remaining farmers had
already sold their produce for whatever the price they were offered.
The farmers are being allowed to sell the produce in Rythu Bazaars in the
city. ID cards were not issued to farmers from other constituencies so far. It
was estimated that there were around 2,000 farmers, who had cultivated
onions in Medak district.
A proposal was also under consideration from the administration to provide
wooden frame works for the onion farmers so that they can keep the produce
in the farm itself in dry weather and can sell it when the market was good.
Though it may take some time for implementation, the same practice was
followed in States like Maharashtra.
“We have cultivated onion in about two acres and it seems that we may not
be in a position to get even the investment we made,” said Venkata Reddy, a
farmer from Sadashivapet.
Drought impact: banks report higher rate of loan defaults
The burden of loans was cited to be the cause in most of the suicide cases by
farmers.— File Photo
Even though the State government distributed more than Rs. 1,500 crore as
compensation for farmers’ crop loss, the effect of last year’s widespread
drought appears to be far from over.
Public sector banks, most of which have reported losses in the last quarter,
have experienced a higher rate of loan defaults in the region this year due to
the drought. “The defaults are to the tune of 40 per cent this year,” said A.
Venkata Reddy, Regional Manager, Syndicate Bank, Mysuru, with
jurisdiction over Mandya, Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Hassan and Kodagu.
Even though the banks are restructuring and rescheduling the loans as per
the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) directions, the farmers will have to
shoulder the burden of unpaid loan amount, which will not enjoy the
Centre’s interest subvention. “There is a likelihood of the farmers
approaching the moneylenders to raise funds,” Mr. Reddy cautioned.
K.N. Shivalingaiah, manager of State Bank of Mysore (SBM), said the loans
have only been restructured and rescheduled and not waived. So, the burden
of clearing the outstanding loans will be upon the farmer even if he is
eligible for renewing his loan for the next year, he added.
The Centre’s interest subvention scheme will not be applicable to
restructured loans, he said. Farm loans are eligible for an interest subvention
of 4 per cent per annum due to which the 7 per cent interest on farm loans is
reduced to just 3 per cent.
Default on farm loans is not new, but the rate has increased this year on
account of drought, Mr. Shivalingaiah said. A series of suicides by farmers
were reported from across the State including Mysuru and surrounding
regions last year and the burden of loan was cited as the cause in most of the
cases.
The high rate of interest charged by moneylenders had come under scanner
with the police booking cases and arresting private financiers collecting
usurious rate of interest. “We have activated out extension activities by
creating awareness among the farmers about the bank’s schemes to prevent
the farmers from approaching the moneylenders,” Mr Reddy said. However,
Mr. Shivalingaiah sought to clarify that the banks do not resort to strong-arm
tactics or shaming the defaulter. “At the most we may send a notice,
reminding them to clear the amount,” he said.
Foresters who made a difference
Forest Department’s book highlights their life and work and traces the
history of forests over 160 years.
In an effort to inspire the present and future generations of foresters, the
Tamil Nadu Forest Department has brought out a book – ‘Hall of Fame’,
illuminating the life and work of 25 illustrious foresters of the past.
The book begins with Dr. Cleghorn, considered the father of scientific
forestry in the country, right down to ‘Elephant Doctor’ V. Krishnamurthy
and naturalist par excellence M. Krishnan.
Through these personalities, the book traces the forests’ history over a 160-
year period. If you travel to the Tamil Nadu Forest Academy in Coimbatore,
you may have to take the Cowley Brown Road, named after its founder
principal.
Its first Indian principal C.R. Ranganathan also finds a mention in the book
for his outstanding working plans in Madras province. His theory of dual
climax about montane sholas and grasslands is a pioneering one.
If you have been to the grave of Hugo Wood at Mt. Stuart at Anaimalais
surrounded by teak, you might have seen the inscription ‘SI
MONUMENTUM REQUIRIS CIRCUMSPICE’ meaning “If you want to
see me, look around”. He had successfully carried out artificial regeneration
method of teak.
The present-day foresters still refer to V.S. Krishnaswamy’s book,
‘Thoughts on Indian Forestry’ and T. Jayadev happens to be the forest chief
with 17 years’ standing in the history of the forest department.
There are vignettes too. K. Andiappan, as an assistant conservator of forests,
was responsible for the Javadis road scheme at Tiruppattur before
independence. K Venkatakrishnan was the ‘Architect of Rubber
Plantations’.
T. Achaya the ‘Planter’ finds a place for his invaluable contributions to the
development of tea plantations, particularly the TANTEA, and, Mohammed
Ansar Badsha for his dedication to the formation and development of
wildlife sanctuaries.
Then there are others who were not part of the department. ‘Elephant
Doctor’ Krishnamurthy, a veterinarian, had treated more than 3,000
elephants in his career, captured 160 wild elephants and treated them,
oversaw the birth of 99 calves in captivity. He was the one to perform the
first post-mortem on an elephant.
M. Krishnan is known for his magical writing, delightful prose and original
thinking and one who had great respect for natural history. What is not
known is that he had conducted surveys for 14 States and their forest
departments across the country in amazing detail and depth.
One cannot miss out on Richard Radcliff, the man who stood like a Banyan
tree - protecting and nurturing the Nilgiri Wildlife Association for over 30
years or E.R.C Davidar, who fell in love with Ooty as a child and went on to
do a pioneering work on the elephant corridors of the Nilgiris and
Anaimalais “to preserve them in perpetuity”.
“This is only the beginning and more such compilation will be brought out
in future,” says a forest official involved in the project.
The book ‘Hall of Fame’ illuminates the life and
work of 25 TN foresters
Beneficiaries sell Re.1-kg rice in open market
The rice is bought by small-time traders who sell it to hotels, millers and
export to Maharashtra
The State Government has launched the ambitious Re.1-a-kg rice scheme for
the white ration card (food security card) holders to remove hunger and
provide some relief to people living below the poverty line.
Ironically, the Re.1-a- kg rice supplied by the Civil Supplies Department to
white ration card holders is sold by the beneficiaries to earn an extra buck in
the open market. Incidentally, there are small-time traders, who move in
various parts of the district collecting Re.1-a-kg rice from the beneficiaries
at the rate ranging from Rs.8 per kilogram to Rs.10 per kilogram.
In turn, the small-time traders sell rice to hotels, eatery joints, rice millers
and even export them to the neighbouring Maharashtra at the rate of Rs.12 to
Rs.16 per kilogram. The welfare scheme launched by the State Government
has come in handy to beneficiaries and small-time traders to make a living at
the cost of the State exchequer.
Incidentally, Karimnagar district, which is also native of Minister for Civil
Supplies Etala Rajender, tops in the State with highest number of food
security cards. The district has a whopping 10,98,393 food security cards -
including AAY and Annapurna cards. Every month, the government
supplies 2,03,132.17 quintals of rice to ration cardholders.
As per the 2011 census statistics, the district population is 37,76,269 but the
units (family members) enrolled in various food security cards include a
whopping 31,68,836 persons.
“Are citizens of the entire Karimnagar district poor and living below the
poverty line?,” questions Confederation of All Telangana Consumer
Organisations (CATCO) chairman N Srinivas.
Alleging that majority of ration card holders are selling the rice supplied by
the fair price shops at a premium, he demanded that the government should
weed out all the bogus cards on a war-footing and save public money. He
charged that even the government employees are in possession of white
ration cards to avail benefits of Arogyasri, fee reimbursement and other
government welfare schemes.
Officials of the Civil Supplies Department said that the beneficiaries of
ration cards are also resorting to exchange of rice for wheat and other
essential commodities. They said that they have been conducting raids and
registering cases against illegal transportation of rice supplied, but in vain.
Continue red gram procurement till March-end: Harish
The Government of Telangana has requested the Centre to continue
procurement of red gram from farmers in the State through National
Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED) and Food
Corporation of India (FCI) to ensure remunerative price to producers.
In a letter addressed to Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh,
Telangana Minister for Marketing T. Harish Rao said on Saturday that the
procurement of 10,890 tonnes of red gram from farmers by NAFED and FCI
under the price stabilisation fund (PSF) scheme for maintaining necessary
buffer stock of the commodity had helped the farmers get a remunerative
price.
In coordination with the Telangana State Agriculture Cooperative Marketing
Federation (TS-Markfed), the FCI had procured 7,400 tonnes and NAFED
had purchased an additional 3,490 tonnes of red gram from farmers creating
a good impact on the market as the measure had not only checked
exploitation of farmers by traders but had also benefited the farmers directly.
However, the Central procurement agencies had asked TS-Markfed to stop
procurement of red gram even as the produce with fair average quality was
still coming to agriculture market committees. The Central agencies’
decision would particularly affect the farmers of Adilabad district badly
since they had about 4,000 tonnes of stocks with them.
Mr. Harish Rao requested the Union Minister to extend the time of red gram
procurement till March-end to enable farmers to get their produce to the
market.
He also spoke to Union Agriculture Secretary Siraj Hussain on the issue. He
asked Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MPs to pursue the matter with the
Centre.
Viswakudi tank declared open
A view of the tank which was declared open at Viswakudi near Perambalur
on Saturday.
Built across the Kallar in Veppanthattai block, the tank aims to harvest the
jungle stream realised in the Semmalai and Pachamalai hills.
The Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, through video conferencing, inaugurated
the tank at Viswakudi built at an estimate of Rs. 33.70 crore, including Rs.
7.23 crore sanctioned by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
Development.
Built across the Kallar in Veppanthattai block, the tank aims to harvest the
jungle stream realised in the Semmalai and Pachamalai hills. The length of
the embankment wall is 665 metre with a capacity to store 40.67 million
cubic feet of water up to a depth of 10.30 metres.
Soil erosion will be prevented due to setting up of boulders on the banks.
The tank would ensure irrigational facility – directly and indirectly to a total
area of 1,449.41 acres. Primarily it would ensure irrigation for the Vengalam
tank ayacutdars for 421.41 acres, as the Vengalam ayacutdars are the direct
beneficiaries of the Kallar for several centuries.
Since the storage at the tank would stabilise the groundwater potential in the
area, another 2,169 acres of dry land would be irrigated, indirectly, including
169 acres through wells. Prior to the project, jungle stream was not only
wasted but also turned to be cause of havoc in the form of floods in the
down stream villages. The Public Works Department executed the work.
A release said the tank had started realising jungle water and the storage
level started rising between October 5 and December 30 last year when the
level stood at 8.5 metres with a capacity of 26.53 million cubic feet. The
storage would benefit farmers of Thondamanthurai, Viswakudi,
Annamangalam, Veppanthattai and Vengalam.
S. Meenatchi, District Revenue Officer, R.P. Maruthairaja, Member of
Parliament, R. Tamilsevan, MLA and S. Asokan, Chief Engineer, Public
Works Department were present at a function held at the tank to mark its
inauguration.
Maharashtra: Come March 18, thrust likely on agro-industry
The finance minister held wide consultations with cross-sections that
resulted in 33,000 suggestions, including ideas on how to mobilise revenue
and curtail expenditure.
The state government’s biggest challenge in the 2016-17 Budget is to
address the recurring negative growth in the agriculture sector, which,
overall, casts its bearing on the Maharashtra Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
As a result, it plans to make higher investments in agriculture, irrigation and
infrastructure to meet the socio-economic growth in the state.
The Maharashtra Budget Session will commence from March 9. The Budget
would be presented on March 18.
The Budget is being tailored to translate the gains in Make In India to work
to Make In Maharashtra’s advantage. For which, the government is
exploring non-conventional sources to mobilise revenue and also
developmental models, specially in agro-industries.
At the end of a series of meetings held by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis
and Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, it is evident that the government
is confronted with a difficult road ahead to match the demand for higher
capital expenditure and sustain the heavy subsidies in power and food
sectors working between Rs 15,000 crore and Rs 18,000 crore.
To begin with, the government will have to shell the interest repayment of
Rs 23,000 crore on its borrowings. The Rs 74,000 crore on salaries to
employees and Rs 20,000 crore pension is absolutely unavoidable.
Sources in the finance ministry said, “It is a tough call on whether we should
focus on financial discipline to arrest the debt at Rs 3.5 lakh crore or loosen
our purse to ensure greater investments in infrastructure, agriculture,
irrigation and roads.”
The finance minister held wide consultations with cross-sections that
resulted in 33,000 suggestions, including ideas on how to mobilise revenue
and curtail expenditure.
Sources indicated that emphasis would be to make higher allocations in
creating permanent assets, which means bigger allocations in capital
expenditure. In the year 2015-16, the total capital expenditure was
Rs 28,074 crore. However, the total Budget spending (Plan and Non-Plan)
was Rs 2.3 lakh crore last year. The state plan size was Rs 54,999 crore.
Insiders in the finance department point to marginal increase in both total
expenditure and state plan size, which is still being worked out. But gauging
the trends, it suggested that the Maharashtra Plan size would be anywhere
between Rs 58,000 crore and Rs 60,000 crore.
The decision to tap additional resources through land monetisation
continues, its immediate concerns relates to fulfilling all the time-bound
projects which it rolled in the last Budget. The revenue department estimate
is, the recent land reforms would generate up to Rs 50,000 crore.
At the internal meeting, Fadnavis indicated that when it comes to creating
permanent assets, there cannot be any compromise on agriculture and
irrigation sectors. The decision to adopt public-private partnership model in
agro-industries is also being promoted to override the agrarian crisis in the
drought-prone backward regions of Marathwada and Vidarbha.
However, the Food Security Act and concessions in the power sector to
farmers will continue. The chief minister’s flagship programme “Jalyukta
Shivar Yojna” will be scaled to the next level to mitigate drought in another
5,000 villages.
“To ensure better and effective management of funds, Fadnavis at every
meeting is stressing on integrated development model,” a senior official in
the finance department said.
PM Modi: Target to double farmers’ income by 2022
Modi said, 'From this land of Uttar Pradesh, I urge all the states to give
priority to agriculture and then see the changes.'
“Today, there are several challenges before the farmers… Is there no
solution to these challenges? These can be converted into opportunities if
you (farmers) help me and states implement the various schemes properly,”
Modi said.
Pitching for converting farmers’ challenges into opporunities, Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged all states to give priority to
implementation of the “roadmap” for boosting the agriculture sector with a
target of doubling the income of farmers by 2022.
Addressing a farmers’ rally in Bareilly, he sought to hardsell the recently-
launched Crop Insurance scheme, which he termed as a “protective shield”,
and talked about various other initiatives including plans to launch e-
platform for marketing of agriculture products in April as part of efforts to
ensure welfare of the farming community.
“Today, there are several challenges before the farmers… Is there no
solution to these challenges? These can be converted into opportunities if
you (farmers) help me and states implement the various schemes properly,”
Modi said.
Noting that the subject of agriculture is with states, he said “the states where
some work has been done in the farming sector have witnessed progress. But
in the states having the approach of ‘chalta hai’ (let it happen) and ‘election
time pe dekh lenge’ (will see at the time of elections), the fate of the farmers
has been left to the God. After God, there is nobody to help them.”
Underlining the vision of doubling the income of farmers by 2022, the 75th
independence of the country, Modi said, “From this land of Uttar Pradesh, I
urge all the states to give priority to agriculture and then see the changes.
The roadmap is there, you only have to implement it.” He said “there is no
criticisim” of any state and “there is no need for it” but he only wants to
“urge” them with the promise that “the Centre is ready to work shoulder-to-
shoulder” with them in the implementation of schemes. He said agriculture
should be made employment-oriented to make it attractive to the new
generation cultivators as he noted that agriculture, manufacturing and
service sectors were the backbone of the country’s economy.
Talking about problems being faced by farmers, the Prime Minister said
“filling their pockets with money” will not suffice and the need is to
strengthen their capabilities. Without make any political comment, Modi
referred to the backward Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh and said it
was shameful that this belt was parched in spite of five rivers criss-crossing
it. He cited the example of BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, saying under the
leadership of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the state has emerged
as “Number 1” in the agriculture sector for last three years consecutively
even though it was nowhere among top 10 about a decade back.
Bundelkhand has of late caught the attention of both opposition and ruling
SP as it appeared to become an election issue before the 2017 Assembly
polls. Talking about MNREGA rural job guarantee scheme, Modi, while
clearly referring to the previous UPA government, said “what happened
earlier? It was nowhere to be seen. Did you see it anywhere?” He said the
scheme could be used to provide irrigation water by making the ponds
deeper, cleaning canals, making new small wells through rainwater
harvesting. “Some states have done it. I will urge more states to do it,” Modi
said. The Prime Minister, who has been addressing farmers’ rallies in
different states including Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Karnataka over the
last few weeks, asked whether a pledge could be taken to double the income
of farmers by 2022.
“I am confident that my dream will come true. My dream is your dream. My
dream is with your dream. What is my dream? My dream is that by 2022,
when the country celebrates its 75th independence day, the income of
farmers should double,” he said, adding “Can we do it? Can we take a
pledge in this regard, the states, the farmers, we all?” He also spoke of the
major problems faced by farmers especilly the vagaries of weather, besides
fragmented land with poor yield to feed large families. “These challenges
should be converted into opportunities,” he said. He advocated a three-
pronged strategy under which one-third of the farming activity should be
earmarked for traditional crops like paddy, sugarcane, pulses and oilseeds,
one-third for poulty, fishery, bee-keeping and one-third for planting trees to
get timber. If this strategy is adopted, farmers would not be left to fend for
themselves even if the weather Gods got angry. Talking about irrigation
facilities, he referred to the Atal scheme for inter-linking of rivers and said
“If there is proper water management, half of the problems of farmers will
be solved and they can live a peaceful life.”
For economic development of the contry, there should be three pillars —
agriculture, industry and service sector, Modi said. “If industries are not set
up, where will sons of farmers get the job. With this we need to promote
service sector like tourism, where employment can be generated,” he said.
The Prime Minister dwelt at length on the Crop Insuance Scheme and
highlighted its elements. The revamped crop insurance scheme is cheaper
than the previous one launched in 1999 and modified in 2010.
It ensures quick dispute settlements and provides for compensation payment
direct into bank accounts. The new scheme works towards making it more
attractive for the farmers. The farmers have now to pay just two per cent of
the premium for kharif crop and 1.5 per cent for rabi while the same for
horticulture will be fixed at 5 per cent. The balance premium is to be paid by
the government – both state and central. India derives about 17% of the
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from agriculture and considering the
volatility in farm output due to vagaries of nature often resulting in lower
production, the new crop insurance scheme approved by the government is
expected to help small and marginal farmers in a big way.
Modi regretted that for the sake of higher yield, massive doses of chemicals
and harmful fertilisers were used. “This atrocity on ‘dharti mata’ should be
avoided…we have no right to commit such an atrocity,” he advised the
farmers. Stating that fertiliser shortage and blackmarketing has ended, Modi
said earlier the PM Office used to get letters from CMs and most of them
were for demanding fertiliser. “The Centre did not permit blackmarketing of
urea. Now no CM writes to me for fertiliser,” he said. Modi said on
Ambedkar Jayanti on April 14 he would launch national agriculture market
“e-platform” for farmers enabling them to know market price of their
produce through mobile phones. Earlier, Union Home Minister Rajnath
Singh told the gathering that the NDA government had raised the amount of
compensation to farmers who suffered due to vagaries of nature. “We have
simplified the procress of giving them central assistance,” he said.
LIVE Union Budget 2016: Arun Jaitley may increase service tax from
14.5 to 18 per cent
Budget 2016 LIVE: Arun Jaitley will be walking a tightrope as he is
expected to strike a balance between announcing tax cuts to industries and
providing relief for farmers under distress
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Monday, presenting his third budget, is
expected to announce some big ticket reforms to give the economy a push.
Jaitley will be walking a tightrope as he is expected to strike a balance
between announcing tax cuts to industries and providing relief for farmers
under distress. The finance minister is also vary about implementing the 7th
Pay commission recommendations as he had set a target of reducing the
fiscal deficit to 3.5 per cent by next year.
On the tax front, Jaitley may increase service tax from 14.5 to 18 per cent
and levy a new cess, similar to the Swachh Bharat cess, to fund initiatives
such as Start-up India.
With elections coming up in four states, the government may hike Minimum
Support Price for procuring farm produce and announce a new insurance
scheme that will shield farmers from weather-related crop losses.
LIVE UPDATES FROM UNION BUDGET 2016
9:50 am: Do state budgets matter more than the Union budget?
9:45 am: Arun Jaitley has reached the Parliament premises.
9:30 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he has an examination today
and that he is ‘fully confident’. Read story here
8.52 am: Here is all that you need to know about Union Budget 2016-17 that
will be tabled in the Parliament on Monday.
8.45 am: IT and telecom hardware makers expect the government to extend
differential duty structure on mobile phones for 10 years while bringing
personal computers under the regime to give a boost to domestic
manufacturing.
8.30 am: “Hangout” with Arvind Panagariya, vice chairman of Niti Aayog
and Amitabh Kant, CEO of NITI Aayog on Wednesday and Thursday as
they explain the intricacies of Union Budget and explicate its real impact on
various crucial sectors of the economy.
Jaitley’s tough task: Budget should please both farmers and investors
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, seated right and members of his team pose
for a photo on the eve of annual budget presentation in the Parliament in
New Delhi, India, Sunday, Feb. 28, 2016. (AP)
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley faces a tough task of balancing the needs of
farm sector as well as the industry when he presents his third and
challenging Budget tomorrow as he seeks to garner resources to boost public
spending for higher growth amid global headwinds.
On the income tax front, the Budget may continue with the status quo on the
tax slabs while it may tinker with the exemptions.
Rising rural distress because of back-to-back droughts have put considerable
pressure on the Finance Minister to spend more on social schemes, while at
the same time he has to win back foreign investors craving for faster
reforms.
His difficulties have been compounded by the huge payout of Rs 1.02 lakh
crore that will become necessary on account of the 7th Pay Commission
recommendations for government employees. How much he does this
without compromising on the previously-announced goal of lowering the
fiscal deficit to 3.5 percent of the GDP next year is to be seen.
Jaitley is also likely to fulfil his last year’s promise of gradual reduction of
corporate tax from 30 per cent to 25 percent over four years. It is expected
that he may begin the exercise in the Budget tomorrow that may be
accompanied by withdrawal of tax exemptions to keep the exercise revenue
neutral.
To shore up revenues to meet the increased expenditure, the finance minister
may need to increase indirect tax rates or introduce new taxes. Service Tax,
raised to 14.5 percent last year, may see a hike to prepare for the level of 18
percent being envisaged in the GST. Further, new cess to fund initiatives
such as Start-up India or Digital India and other programmes is being
speculated, similar to the Swachh Bharat cess levied last year.
On his agenda would also be the revival of the investment cycle. While
capital expenditure in 2015-16 increased by 25.5 percent over last fiscal, as a
percentage of GDP it is still stuck at 1.7 percent and needs to go up to 2
percent. He will have to steer spending towards sectors like infrastructure
and raise public spending in view of private investment not picking up at
desired pace.
It remains to be seen if Jaitley will loosen his purseIt remains to be seen if
Jaitley will loosen his purse strings or continue to consolidate. In the event
the government decides to increase spending, it would be a challenge to
ensure that the funds are channelised into capital investments.
“Even if budgetary consolidation continues, India’s fiscal metrics will
remain weaker than rating peers in the near term,” analysts at Moody’s
Investors Service said earlier this month.
Foreign investors have sold a net $ 2.4 billion in shares this year, the second-
biggest outflows in Asia excluding China. The Budget will need to focus on
the commodity driven sectors by providing protection measures, since these
sectors are stressed due to the collapse in global demand and oversupply.
Jaitley has shifted the proportion of expenditure toward infrastructure and
away from subsidies in the last two Budgets.
Besides implementation of the 7th Pay Commission, he also faces challenge
of bank recapitalisation. With agriculture reeling from drought and lower
crop prices, the government is likely to retain spending on the rural
employment guarantee programme, expand crop insurance and boost
irrigation outlays.
On reforms, he may open more sectors to foreign investment and give tax
breaks for labour-intensive sectors such as leather and jewelry. In view of
sharp fall in crude prices and low probability of increase over the next one
year, the government may reintroduce customs duty on imported crude,
petrol and diesel, which was removed in 2011, when crude prices had
increased over USD 100 per barrel.
The government could increase import duty on gold, since gold imports have
increased over the year and has partly contributed to the trade deficit and
weak rupee on account of forex outflows.
Pretty cool actually: How farmers across the country are innovating
Gurwinder Singh Sohi, 35, grows gladiolus, which he fondly calls ‘glad’, in
Punjab’s Nanowal village. The flower sticks fetch him Rs 2 lakh an acre —
they sell for up to Rs 7 each in the wedding and festive season (keshav
singh/HT)
From mangoes in Maharashtra to wheat in Haryana and apples in Kashmir,
climate change has adversely affected agriculture produce across India. In
the backdrop of less rainfall and resultant farmers’ suicides, experts are
urging farmers to adopt newer technologies and think out-of-the-box.
Interestingly, a few Indian farmers are doing just that, and their efforts seem
to be bearing fruits.
Strawberries, known as the mainstay of western Maharashtra, are being
grown in Kashmir on what was once an apple orchard and a paddy field. A
village in arid Rajasthan is now home to towering teak trees. A farm in
Madhya Pradesh is teaching world experts the ropes of ‘natural farming’, a
farming method, which, unlike organic farming, uses only natural
ingredients — not even organic fertilisers and pesticides. In Tamil Nadu, a
management consultant-turned-farmer is using hydroponic farming to
produce exotic kale and spinach for consumption at fine-dining restaurants
in the metros. Growing gladiolus flowers is in in Punjab, so is marketing
produce via WhatsApp groups.
Individually initiated farm-level innovations can be seen as part of a broader
response to the challenges faced by farmers, says Sudha Narayanan, an
expert in agriculture and malnourishment, and a professor at Mumbai’s
Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research. “Low returns from
growing traditional crops, limits imposed by small landholdings and
dysfunctional land markets, growing risks associated with climactic factors,
and volatile and unpredictable markets, are some of the challenges farmers
face,” says Narayanan. “At one level, perhaps, this is also a response to the
recent failure of policy makers to put agriculture on a sustainable growth
path.”
PUNJAB
A mini-Holland, its tech-savvy farmers
The 10-acres of gladiolus growing on Gurwinder Singh Sohi’s farms seem
more at home in Holland than in Punjab’s Nanowal village. The burst of
colours breaks the monotony of a landscape that is otherwise dotted with
wheat fields.
Sohi, 35, is preoccupied, though — the ‘glad’, as he fondly calls his
gladiolus plants, have to be cut before they flower, since florists need ones
with a shelf-life of at least two weeks.
His start-up RTS Flowers transports flowers to dealers in Chandigarh,
Ludhiana and Patiala. The gladioli sticks and bulbs are marketed through a
Facebook page, Indiamart, and even via WhatsApp.
The sticks fetch him Rs 2 lakh an acre — they sell for up to Rs 7 each in the
wedding and festive season. After a one-time investment of Rs 1.6 lakh an
acre, the seeds can be produced by the plants themselves. With a shelf-life of
eight years, they bring him a profit of another Rs 1.6 lakh a year per acre.
This profit, though, has come in after many failed attempts, which included
growing mushrooms, selling sweets in a neighbouring town, horse-breeding
and customising jeeps. It was only in 2008 that Sohi switched to growing
gladiolus, learning about subsidies on it offered by the state horticulture
department.
Last year Sohi launched a 12-member farmers’ club, wherein for an annual
fee of Rs 5,000, farmers can access power sprays and seed drills, and are
encouraged to cultivate organic turmeric, pulses, maize and basmati to cash
in on the boom in the organic food sector. Members also market their
produce via WhatsApp groups.
Next on Sohi’s list is a website to compete with the big players. “Big stores
are making a killing out of organic food,” he says. “Direct marketing will
ensure that both the farmer and the consumer get a fair deal.”
Input by Sukhdeep Kaur
KASHMIR
Strawberries are the flavour of the season
Known for cultivating crunchy, juicy apples, Kashmiri farmers, at least in
Srinagar’s Gassoo village, are now growing strawberries, and making huge
profits.
It all started with a local farmer, 70-year-old Haji Abdul Ahad Mir, who
started growing strawberries, mainly as an experiment, on a small patch of
land more than a decade ago. The crop yielded benefits. Next, Mir converted
more than 10 hectares of his land into a strawberry field. “An apple tree
gives fruit once in 12 years, while strawberry is cultivated every year,” says
his son Tariq Ahmad Mir. “Strawberries don’t need too much sun or rain,
making their cultivation suitable in Kashmiri weather. We cultivate in
August and harvest around May. The fruit is picked almost every day for
about a month.”
Haji Abdul Ahad Mir, 70, picking strawberries at his farm in Srinagar’s
Gassoo village. Earlier grown in kitchen gardens for personal use,
strawberries have now become this village’s primary crop. (Hindustan
Times )
From Rs 70,000 per year, the Mirs now earn 3 to 4 lakhs, supplying mainly
to the local market. Such profit margins are attracting even paddy farmers.
In Gassoo itself, about 100 hectares of what were paddy fields, and were
home to tomatoes, spinach, radishes and turnips 12 years ago, are currently
under strawberry cultivation, with an annual production of 1,500 tonnes.
Recently, the state’s horticulture department is now encouraging farmers to
process the fruit into jams and drinks.
For the Mirs, the crop has brought them both money and fame. Haji Abdul is
the first Kashmiri to win the Taraqi Yafta Kisan Award by Delhi’s Indian
Agricultural Research Institute in 2009. He also received the Chaudhary
Charan Singh Award in 2010.
Tariq feels their success has led to strawberries now being the main crop in
their village. “Earlier strawberry was grown in kitchen gardens for personal
consumption. Now almost 80% of the land in our village is under strawberry
cultivation,” he says. By Toufiq Rashid
Madhya Pradesh
A ‘natural farm’ near narmada
Krushi Teerth, a nondescript farm on the banks of river Narmada, about
130km from Indore, has become a mecca for organic farming enthusiasts.
So what’s so special about this farm?
“More than the farm, it’s about my style of farming,” says its owner Deepak
Suchde, 66.
“We call it NatuEco science, which means a natural and eco-friendly method
of farming. It is different from organic farming because we don’t even use
organic manure and biological pesticides.”
Even as organic farming — agriculture that excludes the use of chemical
fertilisers and pesticides — gains ground, some farmers, like Suchde, have
gone one step further and taken up natural farming. It uses multi-crop
patterns and biomass to enrich the soil.
More than 500 people, including students and agriculture experts from
countries such as Israel, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK, visit
Krushi Teerth every year.
Deepak Suchde, 66, surrounded by sweet lime trees at his multi-crop farm,
Krushi Teerth, in a village near Indore’s Dewas town. No chemicals, or even
organic fertilisers, are used in this all natural farm. (Arun Mondhe/HT)
Suchde, a Gujarat native who has spent decades farming in rural
Maharashtra, moved to Madhya Pradesh in 2006 to set up this half-acre
model farm in Bajwada village, that’s now home to more than 135 crops,
including vegetables, fruits, spices, herbs and food grains.
“Nothing is special in the farm except for the soil, which is not tilled or dug
up,” says Suchde, urging visitors to smell the soil and feel its texture. The
biomass — leftover leaves and stems after a harvest — is crushed and mixed
back with the soil at regular intervals to replenish it.
“It is clearly visible how a barren land was converted so green and made
self-sufficient in its biomass production. The natural farming being done by
Deepak Suchde is outstanding and it needs to be extended to all corners of
the country,” says Ashok Patra, director of Indian Institute of Soil Science,
Bhopal.
Manoj Ahuja
Rajasthan
Towering teaks in an arid land
As a tea planter in Darjeeling, Radhe Shyam Tiwari, 78, loved being
surrounded by teak trees. So when he retired and moved to Daulatpura, a
village 20km from Jaipur, in 2000, he wanted to plant teak saplings on the
periphery wall of his six-acre farm, where his sons were already growing
lemon, wheat and gooseberry.
To procure the saplings, Tiwari approached the Jaipur forest department but
his request was turned down. “I was told that I must be crazy to think that
teak could grow well in a place as hot as Jaipur,” he says.
Not satisfied with the response, Tiwari decided to take matters into his own
hands.
Radhe Shyam Tiwari, 78, owns 185 teak trees in Rajasthan’s Daulatpura
village. Back in 1995, he was called ‘crazy’ to think that teak could survive
the region’s harsh climactic conditions (himanshu vyas/HT)
“I brought 250 saplings, for Rs 10 each, all the way from Darjeeling and
planted them on my farm way back in 1995,” he says, walking in the midst
of the now two-decade-old trees.
Of the 250, 185 survived.
“Back then, I thought if teak can grow in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh then
why not near Jaipur? So I took up the challenge, and the results can be
seen,” he says, smiling.
Was it a smooth ride? “It was a challenge to grow teak in Jaipur, as the
support and ecosystem were lacking,” Tiwari admits.
Plus, it takes about 20 years for a teak tree to mature. But with a life of more
than 100 years, teak also fetches a good price. “At present, the cost of teak is
Rs 3,500 per cubic feet. I am not looking to sell my trees, but yes, I am a
proud owner of 185 teak trees and have an asset of Rs 185 lakh,” he says.
“Maybe my grandsons will reap the benefits of what I have sown.”
For now, Tiwari has distributed more than 500 teak saplings to farmers in
and around his farm. “Teak trees have become a common sight in
Daulatpura,” he says P Srinivasan
Tamil Nadu
Kale cultivation in mineral-rich water
How do you grow exotic moisture-rich greens on an arid land? The answer
was simple for farmer P Sai Krishna — hydroponic farming, or to grow in
water and not soil.
“I was told that I will fail in this barren land,” says Krishna, 70. “The area
gets baked in temperatures between 40 °C and 45 °C most times of the
year.”
But with his farm, Super Greens India, Sai is set to change things.
S Satyanarayanan, CEO of the Chennai-based Fruitmarts, markets Super
Greens’ produce, mainly to five-star hotels (U Karunakaran)
His sprawling 1,000-sq ft greenhouse — located in Edayarpakkam, in
Sriperumbudur, a 70-km drive from Chennai — is home to exotic varieties
of spinach, Russian and American kale, and a wide variety of chillies, basil
and pak choi.
The reason behind growing these greens, which typically need cooler
climates, was to cash in on their demand at five-star hotels and fine dining
restaurants, where cuisines like Thai and Italian have become a mainstay.
“It had to be hydroponic farming. It uses no pesticides and instead of soil —
that can often be pesticide-contaminated — we use mineral solutions. The
water is treated at an RO plant and solar energy is our source to do reverse
osmosis to reuse water. It is , in fact, better than organic farming,” he adds.
The method is quite simple. First the seeds are sown in coir peat (made of
coconut husk) and rice husk, for two weeks and then saplings are transferred
to cups filled with foam sponge. For a month, these are placed in a
horizontal floating system that contains nutrient-rich water and then placed
in the pipes that are vertically located.
“This has led us to be able to control temperature, sunlight and humidity,”
says Krishna, who feels the cost-effective technique also uses minimum
space. “Cultivation is now a 365-day-affair round-the-clock.”
Next on Sai’s list are a variety of chillies, tomatoes — black, white, red; and
peppers. KV Lakshmana
Growing trouble for Indian farmers
They need higher fertiliser subsidies and a state-funded insurance scheme
for all crops
Indian government action to increase spending on irrigation and crop
insurance is not enough to end a cycle of indebtedness that has led to
thousands of farmer suicides, and a complete overhaul of credit and
subsidies to farmers is needed, activists said.
Drought in many parts of the country has hit rice, cotton and other crops,
and lower world commodity prices have added to the farmers’ plight.
More than half of India’s farming households are in debt, owing banks and
moneylenders hundreds of crores of rupees, despite numerous loan write-
offs by successive governments.
Balancing act needed
Tens of thousands of farmers across the country have killed themselves over
the past decade, several farmers’ lobbying groups said.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who presents the Budget for fiscal 2016-17
on February 29, has to balance stimulating economic growth with aiding
farmers and poorer sections of society.
Farmers’ groups have been demanding better monsoon forecasts, higher
fertiliser subsidies and a state-funded insurance scheme for all crops, to help
farmers improve yields and help prevent crop failures.
“The need of the hour is a focus on the dying farmer community," said
activist Kishor Tiwari, who heads a task force set up to recommend action to
tackle farmer suicides in Maharashtra, which accounted for more than half
of all suicides among Indian farmers in 2014. “Debt is a core issue, and it
needs a long-term plan to resolve it,” he said.
While inter-generational bonded labour in the farming community is no
longer as common as before, the number of poor and landless workers who
are in debt bondage is rising, particularly in agriculture, brick kilns and stone
quarries, activists say.
Indian farmers seldom own the land they cultivate, and often take loans to
buy seeds and fertilisers. Only about one-tenth of India's 263 million
cultivators take out crop insurance, because of the high premiums.
Direct cash subsidies
Unpredictable weather and low crop yields have made farming unviable for
many. Financial assistance provided by the government usually doesn’t
cover the losses, and some farmers have migrated to urban areas for low-
paid jobs, even selling their blood to make ends meet.
Tiwari, in a plan submitted to the Maharashtra government, has
recommended direct cash subsidies for farmers instead of the current
indirect agriculture credit.
He also suggested the central and state governments help underwrite full
crop insurance cover and promote the adoption of organic farming methods
in drought-prone districts, to help restore soil quality and benefit from the
higher price of organic produce, even though yields are lower. A total of
5,650 farmer suicides were recorded in India in 2014, more than half of them
in Maharashtra, according to the National Crime Records Bureau.
Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka also had large
numbers of farmer suicides.
The Cabinet last month cleared a proposal for the country’s first major crop-
damage insurance scheme.
The government has said it will reduce premiums to be paid by farmers, and
ensure faster settlements.
Delays in estimating crop damage and paying claims are a big challenge,
said Sunita Narain, director of non-profit Centre for Science and
Environment in New Delhi.
Use of new technologies
The government must encourage the use of new technologies, including
remote sensing and mobile-based image capturing systems to improve yield
data and claims processing, she said.
“Insurance coverage has to be universal and payouts enough to cover
losses,” she wrote in a blog.
Farm output contributes about 15 per cent to India’s $2-trillion economy,
and farmers and rural communities are a large and powerful vote bank.
Politicians have often promised to waive farmers’ loan repayments, but have
not addressed the underlying reasons for their chronic indebtedness, Tiwari
said.
“Loan waivers are not the solution; it is like a simple dressing for a cancer
tumour. You need to excise the tumour and address the cause of the
disease,” he said.
Thomson Reuters Foundation
Spices Board plans to set up Spice Park near Unjha in Gujarat
Awaiting land allocation from state government
Farmers, traders and exporters of seed spices in Gujarat would be a happy
lot. The Spices Board India announced its intentions to set up Spice Park at
Unjha with an objective to provide processing infrastructure to the small and
medium players.
Out of the three Spice Parks planned to be set up in the country, two will
come up at Kota in Rajasthan and Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh in a year's
time. However, the one planned near Unjha may take loner time and the
Board is awaiting the state government's decision on land allocation for the
same. It has asked for 20 acres of land from the state government to set up
the Park.
"We want to set up the Spice Park preferably closer to Unjha, which is the
largest seed spices trading market. The Spice Park will have common
facilities like cleaning, sorting and labelling etc that will benefit the small
and medium spice traders from the region," said A Jayathilak, chairman,
Spices Board India, on the sidelines of the 13th World Spice Congress 2016
here.
The total project cost is estimated to be around Rs. 20 crore except the land
cost. Already six such Spice Parks are operational in the country with focus
on region-specific spices.
Also, the Board has set up Spices Development Agency (SDA) at Unjha for
the seed spices - cumin seed (jeera), fenugreek seeds (methi), coriander
seeds (dhana) and fennel seeds. Out of India's spices exports of
about Rs. 15,000-16,000 crore, seed spices exports value at around Rs. 3,000
crore, of which 90 per cent is produced in Gujarat.
SDA will look into the coordination between State and Central Agencies for
development of production and marketing of the seed spices found in and
around Gujarat. "It would help farmers adopt better farming practices,
processing and packaging methods as per the international standards. This
will fetch better value of their produce in the international market," said
Jayathilak.
Earlier Jayathilak had announced setting up of regional quality analysis lab
at Kandla in Kutch - first for Gujarat. "This will link the entire chain of spice
from production to quality testing and exports," he said.
What commodity markets want from FM
Traders seek, among other things, CTT abolition to improve volumes
The Indian markets are gearing up for the big event today — the Union
Budget. We take a look at what the commodity market participants expect
from it.
Commodity Transaction Tax
If there is one wish that tops the list for almost all participants in the
commodity sector, it is the removal of the commodity transaction tax (CTT)
that was introduced in July 2013. This tax is levied on the sale transaction of
the commodity futures except for exempted agricultural commodities such
as chana, soyabean, turmeric, etc.
The introduction of this tax has taken trading volumes sharply lower in both
the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) and the National Commodity and
Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX). PK Singhal, Joint MD, MCX, says, “CTT
has increased the cost of trading derivatives by almost 300 per cent and
trading volumes have come down more than 50 per cent after its
introduction.”
Singhal also adds that the increased trading cost has moved the domestic
trading business to offshore markets like Dubai and Singapore. Data from
MCX shows that trading volumes have declined from an average 149 lakh
crore in 20011-12 to 54 lakh crore in 2014-15. In NCDEX, the volumes
have slumped from an average 18.22 lakh crore in 2011-12 to 10.22 lakh
crore in 2014-15.
Some of these volume declines are also a result of the commodity price
meltdown. NCDEX too expects some relief on CTT for processed agri-
commodities like sugar and soyaoil.
Import duty change demands
Hareesh V, Research Head, Geofin Comtrade, says the gold and gem
industry is expecting a reduction in import duty on gold to 2 per cent from
10 per cent.
Increasing the gold import duty in August 2013 was one of the several
measures the government had taken in order to bring down the current
account deficit (CAD). India’s CAD has improved from $21.8 billion in
June 2013 to $8.2 billion as of September 2015.
Other expectations
Hareesh adds that in order to protect domestic growers from cheap imports,
the rubber industry is expecting an increase in the import duty on natural
rubber to 40 per cent from 25 per cent. Similarly, an import duty cut to 5 per
cent from 30 per cent is expected for oilseeds.
Sushil Sinha, Head of Karvy Comtrade, wants the Centre to introduce
measures to help companies hedge their commodity exposure risk. He also
wishes that the Centre allocates more fund and speeds up the process of
setting up a national unified agri-commodity market.
He also wants improvement to infrastructure in terms of warehouses, testing
labs, research, etc. Sinha believes participation in the commodity market will
improve if a clearing and settlement corporation comes up for commodities,
like the one prevailing for equities.
NCDEX wants the Budget to introduce measures to allow banks and asset
management companies to invest in the commodity futures market.
Also, with commodity market regulation being taken over by the Securities
and Exchange Board of India, NCDEX expects the introduction of new
products like options and new indices, going forward.
Economy Survey suggests reform in fertiliser subsidiary package
Universal direct benefit transfer (DBT) to farmers based on biometric
identification with physical off take can reduce diversion of urea, says the
survey
According to the Economic Survey, presented by the Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley, the Government budgeted Rs 73,000 crore - about 0.5 per cent of
GDP- on fertiliser subsidies in 2015-16. Nearly 70 per cent of this amount
was allocated to urea, the most commonly used fertilizer, making it the
largest subsidy after food.
Distortions in urea are the result of multiple regulations. These distortions
feed upon each other, and together create an environment that leads to a
series of adverse outcomes.
First, urea is only subsidised for agricultural uses. “Subsidies like this violate
what is known as ‘One Product- One Price’ principle. Black market effects
are aggravated by further regulation- canalisation. Second, the black market
hurts small and marginal farmers more than large farmers since a higher
percentage of them are forced to buy urea from the black market. Third,
some of the urea subsidy goes to sustaining inefficient domestic production
instead of going to the small farmer.
“A reform package would address each of the problems identified - the three
leakages and skewed mix of fertiliser use - with the primary aim of
benefiting the small farmer,” said Jaitley.
First, decimalising urea imports - which would increase the number of
importers and allow greater freedom in import decision - would allow
fertiliser supply to respond flexibly and quickly to changes in demand. This
would be timely as climatic fluctuations are making it much more difficult
for governments to forecast agriculture conditions and centrally manage
supply.
Second, bringing urea under the Nutrient Based Subsidy program currently
in place for diammonium phosphate (DAP) and Muriate of Potash (MOP)
would allow domestic producers to continue receiving fixed subsidies based
on the nutritional content of their fertiliser, while deregulating the market
would allow domestic producers to charge market prices. This would
encourage fertiliser manufactures to be efficient, as they could then earn
greater profits by reducing costs and improving urea quality. And this in turn
would benefit farmer.
As per Economic Survey, direct transfers in fertilisers can lead to reduction
in leakages to the black market. The government’s policy of neem-coating
urea is a step in exactly this direction. Neem-coating makes it more difficult
for black marketers to divert urea to industrial consumers. Technology could
be further used to curtail leakages and improve targeting of fertililser
subsidies. Fertiliser is a good sector to pursue JAM (Jan Dhan, Aadhaar,
Mobile) because of a key similarity with the successful LPG experience: the
centre controls the fertiliser supply chain.
The relatively low levels of last-mile financial inclusion in much of rural
India also suggest that it would be risky to replace subsidised fertiliser with
cash, due to beneficiaries’ weak connection to the banking system.
“A preferred option would be to set a cap on the number of subsidised bags
each household can purchase and require biometric authentication at the
point of sale (POS). Requiring biometric authentication would make it
harder to conduct large-scale diversion. Imposing a cap on the total number
of subsidised bags each farmer can purchase would improve targeting. Small
farmers would still be able to get all their urea at subsidised prices but large
farmers may have to pay market prices for some of the urea they buy,” said
the Economic Survey.
The fertiliser subsidies, which are very costly (accounting for about 0.8 per
cent of GDP), encourage urea overuse that damages the soil, undermining
rural incomes, agricultural productivity, and thereby economic growth.
Reform of the fertiliser sector would not only help farmers and improve
efficiency in the sector. Decimalising imports will ensure timely availability
of fertilisers, and universal Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to farmers based
on biometric identification with physical off take can reduce diversion of
urea.
Budget 2016: Higher spending on agriculture may leave investors
disappointed
In a strategy shift, Modi government's Budget could change from its focus
on infrastructure spending and market reforms; investors may be
disappointed
Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) listens to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley
during the Global Business Summit in New Delhi. Photo: Reuters
Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants the Budget unveiled on Monday to
appeal to India's rural poor, officials familiar with his thinking said, in a
strategy shift that could boost his ruling party in coming state elections but
disappoint investors.
His government is expected to increase spending on agriculture, health and
social sectors, a change from its focus on infrastructure spending and market
reforms, they said.
“We will have to reform the agriculture markets, invest more resources to
deal with the agrarian crisis - all of this could be an integral part of this
year's Budget," said Ramesh Chand, a member of the planning body Niti
Aayog that gave the finance ministry inputs.
"The Budget could provide resources to expand the coverage and
effectiveness of schemes such as crop insurance, food and fertilizer subsidy,
and irrigation," Chand told Reuters.
On Sunday, a finance ministry spokesman could not be reached for comment
on the Budget themes.
Modi's landslide election in 2014 raised hopes he would draw a line under
India's socialist past, cut welfare and reduce the government's role in
business.
In its first two years in power, the government splurged on roads and
railways at the expense of welfare programmes in the hope of creating
economic stimulus.
Modi's gamble was that infrastructure investment would eventually generate
dividends for the poor and the rural community, which makes up most of
India's 1.3 billion population.
Back to back droughts
But rising rural distress after back-to-back droughts and a recent heavy
election defeat in a largely agricultural state have upset that calculus.
It has also left the government open to attacks by the opposition, who use a
Hindi phrase to deride Modi's administration as a "suit and boot"
government that only works in the interest of the rich."He is starting all over
again," an official familiar with Modi's thinking said. "The image of Modi as
a supporter of big business has been damaging. This Budget will change that
narrative."
The Budget is expected to counter criticism ahead of key elections in
heartland farming states such as West Bengal this year and Uttar Pradesh
next year.
But the switch in focus is likely to disappoint investors and
markets.Increased social spending may hike India's closely watched fiscal
deficit to 3.8% of GDP next financial year
from a target of 3.5%, one official said. "The markets and rating agencies
will be disappointed if the deficit reaches that level," said D.H. Pai
Panandiker, president of RPG Foundation, an economic policy group in New
Delhi.
Last week, yields on India's most-traded bonds touched their highest level in
18 months and the rupee slumped on fears of a higher deficit level.
'Villages, poor and farmers'
The Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the powerful
ideological parent of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has also been
urging the government to do
more to help distressed farmers.RSS officials last month told Finance
Minister Arun Jaitley to do more for them in a four-hour meeting only
scheduled for one, people familiar with the talks said.
"It was for the first time we felt that Jaitley was keen to understand the crisis
in farmlands," one RSS official said.
One government official said the Budget's focus will be on "gaon, garib and
kisan (villages, the poor and farmers)."
The government has been advised to double spending to about $1.2 billion
on a crop insurance programme and boost irrigation expenditure, officials
said.
It may launch a programme to directly transfer fertilizer subsidies to farmers'
bank accounts, they said. Another official said there may be a new $870
million programme for farmers, where scientists would test their soil and
then recommend fertilizers to boost agricultural yields.
The government has also been considering increasing the subsidy to fund the
world's largest food for the poor programme by 13% to Rs 1.4 lakh crore
($20.4 billion).
The administration already signalled it is ready to pursue a more populist
path with last week's annual railway Budget, when it shied away from
raising passenger train fares.
"The Budget's central theme will be to merge voters' expectations with our
political ambition," a senior BJP leader and a minister in the central
government said.
Modi asks farmers to convert challenges into opportunities
'I wish to double the income of farmers by 2022 when India will celebrate 75
years of its Independence,' Modi said
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday at a farmer's ralley asked them to
convert the challenges into opportunities, calling them pride of the nation.
"There are a lot of challenges before our farmers, but these challenges can be
transformed into opportunities," Modi said.
Prime Minister Modi also requested all state governments to give utmost
priority to farmers' issues.
"I appeal not only to the Uttar Pradesh Government but to all the state
governments to give utmost priority to addressing farmers' issues and issues
related to agriculture," said Prime Minister Modi.
"I wish to double the income of farmers by 2022 when India will celebrate
75 years of its Independence," he added.
Prime Minister Modi emphasized that the farmers today want at least one
member of their family to take up job because they know that the family
cannot just sustain on agriculture.
"Since our government has come to power, we have made efforts to bring in
reforms in agriculture through science," he added.
Commodity picks- 29 February 2016
Wheat & Mustard
Wheat
Wheat is at Rs 1,728 a quintal in the Delhi market and is expected to trade
lower, towards Rs 1,700 a quintal in a couple of weeks, due to crop arrivals
in central and north India. Steady release of wheat by the government would
also keep prices lower
Mustard
Jaipur mustard seed prices are currently at Rs 4,283 a quintal. The harvest
has started and output is expected to be better than last year's. Thus, prices
are expected to move towards Rs 4,200 a quintal in the coming weeks
Prerana Desai
V-P, research, Edelweiss Agri Services and Credit Edelweiss Integrated
Commodity Management Lt
MSP for all crops = Cost of production + 50%
Nagpur: Activists championing for the farmers' cause want an increased
outlay for agriculture. There was a strong demand that government should
introduce a minimum support price (MSP) pegged at 50% over the cost of
production.
Vijay Jawandhia, a Shetkari Sanghatana veteran, said, "If government
reduces subsidy, an alternate system of supporting the farmer has to be put
in place. Doing away with subsidies like that on fertilizers will increase cost
of production. With the seventh Pay Commission to be implemented, money
flow in the economy will increase, which may fuel inflation and even the
farm hands will need more wages to sustain a living according to the general
standards. The policy measures need to take this into account."
"The farm credit target must be increased by at least Rs 4 lakh crore from
the Rs8.5 lakh crore fixed last year," said Kishore Tiwari of Vasantrao Naik
Shetkari Swavlamban Mission (VNSSM). Tiwari, earlier a farm activist,
now heads VNSSM, a state government task force on farmers in the new
regime.
Tiwari said a recent RBI notification has included lending for allied
activities and also agri businesses into the ambit of priority sector lending.
With this, banks can easily avoid providing the yearly crop loans to farmers
which they need for meeting their sowing expenses, and yet meet the priority
sector target by lending agri businesses. The budget should bring a specific
rule on mandatory lending for cultivation expenses under priority sector
norms.
He also stressed on a system of viability gap funding to the farmers who
shift to a food crop after facing crisis in a cash crop due market
uncertainties. This can specially benefit farmers in Vidarbha who are trapped
in cotton cultivation, he said. "A project on the lines of state government's
Jalyukt Shivar for creating village-level water harvesting facilities should be
announced for the entire country," he said.
Amitabh Pawade, an engineer-turned-farmer from Narkhed, has called for a
loan waiver scheme even as he demanded that the budget announcements
should include the move on MSP fixed at 50% over the cost of production.
"This was a part of the BJP's election manifesto. We can hope that it is
implemented in the second budget under its term, at least," said Pawade.
"There should be a MSP on these lines for all crops and not just for a select
farm produces," he said.
Pawade also called for implementation of other recommendations of the
Saminathan Commision and village-level crop insurance cover as against
block level which includes a group of villages at present.
Budget Expectations
Fulfilment of election promise on MSP
Village-level crop insurance cover
Make lending for cultivation expenses mandatory
Ensure viability gap funding for farmers
Jalyukt Shivar scheme for entire country
Rice exported to Iran ends up in Dubai
DRI unearths Rs 1,000 crore export scam, probe on to check money to fund
terror.
According to a probe being done by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence
(DRI), over two lakh metric tonnes of Basmati rice was illegally offloaded in
Dubai in the last over a year instead of in Bandar Abbas in Iran, official
sources said. (Representational image)
New Delhi: Authorities have unearthed a massive scam in export of high-
quality Basmati rice to Iran, running into over Rs 1,000 crore, in which the
commodity was fraudulently diverted mid-sea to Dubai.
According to a probe being done by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence
(DRI), over two lakh metric tonnes of Basmati rice was illegally offloaded in
Dubai in the last over a year instead of in Bandar Abbas in Iran, official
sources said.
Over 25 big exporters from Haryana and Punjab are under the scanner of
DRI and other agencies for their involvement in the multi-crore scam, they
said. Explaining the modus operandi, the sources said rice would be taken to
Gujarat’s Kandla Port by these exporters. They would then file Shipping
Bills--documents filed with customs authorities carrying details of goods to
be exported, consignor and consignee--for export to Iran, they said.
Instead of the consignment reaching Iranian shores, it would be diverted
mid-sea to Dubai allegedly with the connivance of cargo ship operators
carrying the goods.
Surprisingly, payments were also made from Iran to these exporters in India.
Importers and port officials would allegedly acknowledge the receipt of rice
and allow payment to be made against it here, the sources said.
What is worrying for intelligence agencies here is that they do not know the
end-use of rice off-loaded in Dubai. They suspect use of rice as barter
system to fund some illegal activity like terror financing, the sources said.
The DRI has red-flagged the scam at the highest level and is in touch with
authorities concerned in Dubai about the scam. Prima facie, two lakh metric
tonnes of rice valued at about Rs 1,000 crore has been off-loaded in Dubai
instead of Iran, they said.
While India lost foreign exchange which it could have got from Dubai in
case of genuine trade, Iran was also deprived of customs duty it would have
been entitled to if rice was delivered at its shore, the sources said.
The authorities suspect the proceeds of the scam assumed the form of black
money. The DRI has informed SC appointed SIT on black money about the
case. It has also roped in the ED to look into the matter, they said.
Legal export of rice from the country has risen in the past two years. A total
of 9,35,567.81 kg of Basmati rice was exported to Iran in the last fiscal and
4,57,023.63 kg between April and November this financial year, they said.
Dinesh Sharma elected as Chairperson of IFAD
India emphasised that economic growth must be inclusive and participatory;
and should result in an enhanced access to opportunities to all.
NEW DELHI: Additional Finance Secretary Dinesh Sharma has been
elected as the Chairperson of the Governing Council of International Fund
for Agriculture Development (IFAD).
Sharma, who is India's governor to Rome-based IFAD was unanimously
elected as the chairperson of the Governing Council for a period of two
years in 39th session held in Rome on February 17-18, a Finance Ministry
press release said.
According to the statement, speaking on the occasion, the Italian President
Sergio Mattarella said that hunger and poverty are insidious, and are at the
root of conflict and instability and are the link in chain that we need to break
first to deal with emergencies and humanitarian disasters.
IFAD was set-up in 1977 as the 13th Specialised Agency of the United
Nations and works towards removing poverty and hunger in rural areas all
over the world.
India is a founder member of IFAD and a key contributor among the
member countries.
The council is managed by two main governing bodies -- the Governing
Council and the Executive Board. The Governing Council is the highest
decision making body and consists of 176 member countries.
The Governing Council Session was marked by special focus on inclusive
growth and on the investments required to meet the Sustainable
Development Goals in the realm of eradicating poverty and hunger.
India emphasised that economic growth must be inclusive and participatory;
and should result in an enhanced access to opportunities to all.
India further added that access to formal finance at an affordable cost and in
a transparent manner, would be crucial for a meaningful financial inclusion.
The Indian Delegation also apprised the gathering about the steps taken by
the government to promote financial Inclusion through Pradhan Mantri Jan
Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) and Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
How disruptive biological and information technologies help in
transforming agriculture
Farmers’ leader Kishore Tiwari alleges that Maharashtra chief minister
Devendra Fadnavis’ plan to tackle the agrarian crisis has failed.
A cognoscente used a cricket metaphor for the Indian economy. Of the 22
players, a handful gets all the attention, while others wait patiently for their
magic moment. Bowlers form less than half the team and take all the wickets
but they account for barely 20% of the runs scored — like agriculture, which
employs over 50% of workers, but accounts for under 20% of gross
domestic product.
Fast Forward the Farms The urban mindset and frenzy must now reach
Bharat. The 78-year-old farmer Narayan Khadke of Walsawangi in
Maharashtra has returned the Sheti Nishtha award that he won in 1983 for
best agricultural practices.
Farmers' leader Kishore Tiwari alleges that Maharashtra chief minister
Devendra Fadnavis' plan to tackle the agrarian crisis has failed to take off
due to "rampant corruption" and "insensitive bureaucracy".
On the positive side, prime minister Narendra Modi has unveiled the
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and the National Agriculture Market, a
digital platform for farmers to sell their produce anywhere in India. Finance
minister Arun Jaitley has held out the promise of an agriculture-focused
budget. Agriculture has been discussed and funded bigtime for 60 years, yet
it has produced inadequate results.
In The Fourth Revolution, John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge argue
that "dysfunctional government has become a cliche... countries' success
depends overwhelmingly on their ability to reinvent the State". In Rebooting
India, Nandan Nilekani says that "government as an enabler of people's
aspiration... implies a radical rethink".
India doesn't have a well-accepted and consistent National Agricultural
Policy. In the first phase, from Independence till 1965, agriculture lurched
amid multiple pulls and pressures. The food crisis of the mid-1960s led to
the second phase, when enormous success was achieved in managing
political consensus and in adopting new technologies. The green revolution
phase ran its course by 2000 when the third phase began.
In 2000, a new National Agricultural Policy was announced by the Vajpayee
government "to achieve an agricultural growth of 4% per annum [which did
not happen], to strengthen the rural infrastructure... and to speed up value-
added agricultural growth". The next government of Manmohan Singh
received a report from the National Commission on Farmers in 2006.
However, we still have no National Agricultural Policy — there are bits and
pieces but no overarching framework.
In transformation management, frameworks inspire participants that "they
are building a cathedral, not laying bricks". Economist Yoginder K Alagh
has said, "The future of agriculture is not in the stars, even in a country
deeply committed to the inevitability of predictable karmic outcomes.... Pull
together the main analyses and place them in a holistic framework.... Indian
agriculture responds well to wellthought-out policy stimuli."
New Ideas, New Framework What kind of disruptive measures can bring a
frenetic energy to the farm sector? First, we need a Mandela-style initiative
for rapprochement and to agree on a national agenda for agriculture. It
makes good economic and political sense for all parties if the ruling party
would take the initiative.
If the effort to build consensus for Goods and Services Tax (bill) had gone
into building a consensus on improving farm economics and well-being, it
would have had a far greater impact.
Managing water, implementing farmer-friendly, produce-marketing
measures and applying modern science, all are illustrative candidates.
Second, reorient research efforts to be market- and farmerled with a
scientific approach to experimentation. Bt cotton has disrupted Indian cotton
production.
New ideas like the nutrient buffer power concept (of agricultural scientist
KP Prabhakaran Nair), micro-irrigation and deployment of drones can
transform soil management. We need to reimagine a new framework for
agriculture and inject technological vibrancy.
Third, with its fabled software skills, India must surely connect farmers
through a Taobao-style digital network.
Fourth, agriculture needs the equivalent of small and mediumsized
enterprises/micro small and medium-sized enterprises of industry. India
needs someone, maybe National Bank for Agriculture And Rural
Development , to lead willing farmers to form Farmer Producer
Organisations (FPO) under the Companies Act so that farming becomes
somewhat bankable. But there is the counter-productive Securitisation and
Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act
2002, which deals which deals with the regulation, securitisation and
reconstruction of financial assets, but specifically excludes "any security
interest in agricultural land".
Fifth, include agriculture in the skills efforts of the country by launching
agricultural technical training institutions just as industrial training institutes
were started for industrialisation.
if FPOs are formed, farmers need management and governance skills. Is
there any reason why India needs only defence and aerospace production
and not more efficient food production as part of Make in India?
Sixth and last, restore public investment in rural infrastructure — check
dams and bunds for water, rural roads and warehousing. Increase irrigated
area from 48% to 60% over a few years. Revamp the minimum support price
regime, which began as a support but has become a crutch.
Rationalise the heavy subsidy regime on fertilisers. The current policy has
strangulated the nutrient industry and distorted the national soil map.
Many committees have suggested what should be done; India needs the
framework of a National Agricultural Policy for the how.
(The author is a writer and corporate adviser)