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Events
& Issues
New Delhi, 12 May 2010
2nd
Green Revolution
THE
WAY OUT FOR FARMERS?
By
Dhurjati Mukherjee
There is much talk in recent times about the
need for a second green revolution as the country will have to increase its
agricultural output by over 340 million tonnes by 2020 in the face of an increasing
demand by a growing population. Recall, that the first green revolution was
limited to only five crops with the main focus on wheat and that too in a few
areas of the country, mainly Punjab, Haryana
and western Uttar Pradesh. Studies have revealed that the cost-intensive green
revolution helped the rich farmers while the small and marginal farmers did not
receive the desired benefits and their conditions showed a decline.
In this backdrop, the government visualized a
four-pronged strategy, the most important being the extension of the green
revolution in the eastern region – comprising Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand,
eastern UP, West Bengal and Orissa. A sum of Rs 400 crores was allocated but experts
believe it may be too meagre to really make a dent in these States, which are
lagging behind in production and productivity.
This apart, it has been proposed to organize
60,000 “pulses and oilseed villages” in rain-fed areas during 2010-11 and provide
an integrated intervention for water harvesting, watershed management and soil
health to enhance the productivity of the dryland areas. This is significant as
with the per capita availability of water declining, the dryland areas could
resort to pulses and oilseeds production, both of which are heavy in demand and
the output needs a boost, for which Rs 300 crores allocation this current year
appears reasonable.
Additionally, there is need to sustain the
growth achieved in the green revolution areas by improving soil health, water
conservation and management. Climate resilient agriculture, field research and
experimentation are vital. An allocation of Rs 200 crores is apt but much
depends on the work of the agricultural scientists and extension officers to
ensure implementation of the steps suggested.
However, whether these proposals would be able
to reach the small farmers and make a dent to the whole of the agricultural
sector remains to be seen. The focus on agricultural research has to be field-oriented
so as to ensure efficient use of resources and conservation of soil, water and
ecology on a substantive basis along with introduction of newer technologies,
encouraging production and use of bio-fertilizers and application of
bio-genetics for improved plant and horticultural products. Then only can the
second green revolution can become a reality.
Even the 11th Plan emphasized on
certain measures for taking agriculture to a higher trajectory of 4 per cent
annual growth. For this to become a reality, the budget has rightly emphasized
on making technology and credit available to the small farmer at the grass root
level. The steps outlined in the Plan are: improving water management,
rainwater harvesting and watershed development; reclaiming degraded land for
cultivation and focusing on soil health; bridging the gap through effective
extension at the grass root level; diversifying
into high-value outputs, fruits, flowers, medicinal plants, bio-diesel etc.; providing
easy access to credit at affordable rates; and improving the incentive
structure and functioning of markets.
Former President, Dr. A. P. J. Kalam, realized
the potential of Indian agriculture and highlighted this in various forums. While
there is unanimity that the spread effect of the second green revolution must
reach the farthest centres of the country, some have rightly said that it
should ensure financial inclusion of the small and marginal farmers, whose
numbers continue to grow over the years.
Certain other aspects such as agri-marketing in
a globalized environment, frontier areas of research and development and
technology transfer and extension, irrigation and water planning, food
processing and diversification of agricultural products need to be given
attention. It is significant that the problems of small and marginal farmers,
who constitute the major segment of the farming community and who are neglected,
need the help and support.
The promotion of agro processing centres in the
rural areas is an imperative need. It would result in the minimization of
post-production losses and production of value-added products for consumers at
affordable prices. The question of reducing wastages and the improvement of
storage has also been stressed as the second element of the agricultural growth
strategy. If necessary, private sector participation would need to be ensured,
specially in developing agro processing in a major way. It cannot be denied that
the private sector has played a significant role as developers of new crop
varieties, specially hybrids, and providers of high quality seeds. It is now
necessary for the government to encourage and provide incentives for
collaborative research for developing products.
Agricultural development could be possible
through the following measures: new and innovative technology for enhancing
production and for resource conservation; encouraging farmers’ cooperatives as
is being done in Gujarat and Maharashtra;
massive skill training and entrepreneurship development; value addition of
agricultural products, at the farmers’ level and good marketing network,
including development of future market. It is understood that the Indian
Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) has set up around 200 experiential
learning units at 43 agricultural universities in different parts of the
country to impart such training.
To start with there is a belief that the second
green revolution should be made possible in the rain-fed areas so as to improve
the income levels of the distressed farmers. The main challenges obviously lie
in reaching new technologies to such farmers, providing them necessary credit
and improving their incomes through better infrastructure and marketing
strategies. Positive steps are necessary and these are: strengthening the
existing Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and setting these up in all the blocks of
the country to reach all sections of farmers in boosting production,
facilitating adoption of improved knowledge on production, value addition and
marketing and extending all types of help through adoption of improved
knowledge on production, value addition and marketing.
.
But the crucial aspect is that returns from
agriculture have to be monitored so that the farming community is not put in a
precarious situation and mounting debts do not lead them to suicide. Even in Punjab, where the average farm size is 3.8 acres which in
2.5 times the average size of Indian farms, the farmers income is far less than
the starting salary of a Class IV government employee. The big question is: how
will farmers continue to be involved in cereal production with dwindling
incomes, more so with the ongoing controversy on fertilizer and electricity
rates on the increase? Thus, there is an imperative need to enhance subsidies
and substantially enhance the minimum support price for various crops. Higher rates
would ensure better returns for farmers and there is no reason to raise a hue
and cry about increased food process.
In the not-to-distant future, India can
definitely emerge as an agricultural power if the proposed strategy is
implemented. We need to overhaul socio-economic and farm policies to remove the
rural disparities and poverty or at least bring it down steadily. The face of
rural India
must be transformed keeping in view the need to improve the living conditions
of the masses. Diversification strategies must be evolved to bring more
value-addition while agricultural productivity is geared up. One may conclude
with an estimate by eminent economist Dr. C. Rangarajan, in 1982, that a mere
one per cent increase in agricultural output led to a 0.7 increase in national
income and it may be added that most part of this enhanced income obviously
reached the grass-root levels of rural India. ---INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
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