|
Open Forum
New Delhi, 12 October 2022
Raising Farm
Output
TECH &
GOVT SUPPORT VITAL
By Dhurjati
Mukherjee
Prime Minister
Narendra Modi has urged States to step up domestic production by accelerating
the process for modernisation of agriculture, animal husbandry and food
processing to help India become self-sufficient and a global leader in the farm
sector. At the 7th meeting of Niti Aayog Governing Council, he sought
to impress upon States to focus on reducing imports, increasing exports and
identifying opportunities for shipping goods out of India, more so due to
supply constraints and the war in Ukraine.
With import
of edible oil being around Rs 1 lakh crore annually, Niti Aayog Member, Ramesh
Chand lamented that nearly half of the country’s requirement for the cooking
medium was met from foreign supplies. As usual the need for crop
diversification was rightly stressed keeping in view the precarious problem of groundwater
in States such as Punjab and Haryana. The agriculture economist wanted more
attractive MSP for pulses and oilseeds to wean away farmers from paddy and
wheat, the mainstay of India’s procurement programme.
However
paddy and wheat output cannot be ignored as their requirement has been
increasing. Recent reports indicate that production of kharif foodgrains is
expected to decline by nearly 4 per cent with the biggest slide of 6 per cent
being recorded in the output of paddy during 2022-23 crop year over 2021-22 due
to drought conditions in certain States, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and
Punjab, that witnessed significant monsoon rainfall deficit this year. First
advance estimates of kharif crops, released by Agriculture Ministry, showed the
estimated overall production of foodgrain at nearly 150 million tonnes in
2022-23 compared to 156 MT the previous fiscal.
As far as
paddy is concerned, the decline is expected to be around 7 million tonnes in
the current crop year (July-June cycle). Improvement in production of coarse
cereals (millets and maize) has, however, slightly bridged the estimated
output, thanks to maize whose production due to crop diversification efforts
during the current fiscal is estimated at record MT.
Meanwhile,
recent reports indicated that there is a fall in the summer crop acreage due to
drought conditions in six States, including UP, Bihar and Jharkhand. The
overall acreage of kharif crops was dragged down largely due to fall in nearly
5 per cent in sown area of paddy as also in sowing of pulses and oilseeds due
to inadequate rainfall. Additionally, the average retail prices of rice, wheat
and atta increased by 8 to 19 per cent this past year, according to
government data with the maximum increase being in the case of atta
(wheat flour) prices.
Scientists generally
agree that Indian agriculture faces diverse problems. These include lack of
proper infrastructure and knowhow, faith in conventional styles of functioning,
lack of awareness and scarcity of farmer capital while fragmentation of land
holdings has been another big hurdle. The country, which accounts for 18 per cent
of the global population, is expected to surpass China by 2023, thereby
necessitating more food production. Estimations by the Indian Council for Agricultural
Research (ICAR) showed that by 2050, demand for pulses, cereals, rice, eggs,
fruits, vegetables and milk will be more than twice of what it was in 2000,
while the demand for foodgrains is expected to jump by over 85 per cent.
While
foodgrain production has to be increased to keep pace with demand, the
International Food Policy Research Institute estimated that India would be
facing a 16 per cent drop in food production with the number of those at risk
for hunger increasing by 23 per cent by 2030 due to climate change. This
revelation is significant since it comes in the wake of India’s poor showing in
the Global Hunger Index 2022, wherein it ranked 101 out of 116 nations. A
need-based minimum core essentially means that States need to ensure that a
minimum acceptable level of food is provided for citizens’ needs and survival.
However,
India has been trying to comply with the commitment of guaranteeing adequate
daily calorie requirements of its populace through a judicious mix of legal and
policy initiatives like Green
Revolution, Public Distribution System and National Food Security Act, 2013.
But in reality, a section of the rural population is undernourished as it does not
have the purchasing power to have a balanced diet with necessary proteins and
minerals.
Thus, lies
the need of enhancing farm productivity. Providing more food, increasing
productivity affects the farming market’s growth, labour migration, and income.
Increased agricultural productivity refers to more efficient distribution of
scarce resources. Learning how to improve production is a crucial aspect of
productive farming. New methods and techniques have given farmers a chance
to increase production and maintain their farm’s long-term
sustainability.
Agricultural
experts believe that climate change has been impacting the sector and
nutritional stability. Increasing temperatures, erratic rainfall and droughts
at odd times are having adverse effect on plant growth, causing shorter grain
filing periods, reduced yield and biomass. Keeping in view the need to
safeguard the nutritional requirement of the population, millets, which include
sorghum (jowar), pearl millet (bajra), finger millet (ragi),
barnyard and other such varieties, offer a viable option as
these nutraceutical crops are rich sources of macro-nutrients and
micronutrients with high levels of calcium, iron, zinc, potassium and protein.
Thus, diversification of crops is very much necessary.
Meanwhile, it
has been reported that shortages of water, land and energy combined with the
increased demand from population and economic growth will create a global food
shortage around 2050 and India is no exception.
Recall, a
Supreme Court order aptly stated that no person should die of hunger “but that
is happening, citizens are dying of hunger”, asking the Centre and States to
reach out to farmers and migrants who form the country’s backbone. It noted
the Centre had failed to undertake any exercise to determine the coverage under
the Food Security Act as a result of which a staggering 10 crore people had
been left out of its purview and lakhs of migrants failed to secure foodgrains
during the pandemic despite the court issuing a slew of directives. Perhaps, keeping this in view, the Centre extended the
free ration scheme for the poor by another three months i.e. up to December-end.
It’s imperative
to take adequate measures to boost agricultural growth. Obviously, productivity
has to increase in States that are below national average. Plus, one cash crop must
be grown to increase farmers’ income. For this, technological support is critical
and research institutes like ICAR need to come forward in locating at least 200-250
districts where cash crop production must be encouraged.
Further, experts
raise question of how Public-private
partnerships can unlock opportunities for private investment to complement
public resources and capacity to generate improved food security, particularly
for the most vulnerable population. There is need for allocation of more
resources from Centre, promoting good nutrition, better local farming
methods, increasing local food processing and, of course, better technological
inputs which India’s scientific institutions can provide.
Only then
can India emerge as a major food hub in the world. Proper technological inputs
and government support needs serious consideration. More so, because there is
enough demand in certain categories of crops and the country can earn
reasonable profits by maintaining sustainable exports. Why wait. ---
INFA
(Copyright,
India News & Feature Alliance)
|
Archives 
