Manthan topic: sowing prosperity-boosting agricultural productivity

It is well known that Agriculture is the back bone of our nation. But we are not sure, how many knows that our back bone is getting weaker. Prosperity doesn’t mean only the technological development. Besides, it also refers to the agricultural prosperity. But for now the current scenario that productivity due to agriculture is less compared to industrial sectors.

India proudly called as “The Sub Continent” is blessed with diverse agro climatic zones and a large work force, appropriate policies could convert India into an agricultural powerhouse and lift millions from poverty.

Are we aware of the current status of agriculture?

India is a global agricultural powerhouse. While agriculture’s share in India’s economy has progressively declined to less than 15%.

The main problem for this decline is that we Indians follow westernization and fail to realize what suits for our land.

Increasing agricultural productivity using organic farming thus ensuring a healthy life

Position

1.India has 1426 certified organic farms as per report of Food and Agriculture Organization.

2.About 120,000 tons of organic food is produced annually.

Organic farming compared with

inorganic farming

1.Chemical fertilizers though

helps in productivity it

fails to give protection to the

soil from increasing acidity.

Solution can be

1.Banning down those fertilizers

which creates more damage.

2.Endosulfan is being banned as it produces cancer.

3.Use of organic manure can be

encouraged.

Farmers promoting Natural farming can be approached for guidance and fertilizers free agricultural land can be encouraged

Dr.G.Nammalvar is an Indian organic farming scientist, involved in preaching the farmers to get the edge in organic farming

Gowtham - Young man who is doing organic farming as a group and creates awareness among students about agriculture

Benefits – organic farming 1. Promotion of Bio-diversity. 2. Reduction of farm pollution. 3. Reduction of toxic substances in

the environment. 4. Better soil.

5. Job creation. 6. Assisting the fight against climatic change. 7. Safer water. 8. Preservation of the culture of agriculture.

Effective awareness among our students who only has the weapon to sow prosperity to agricultural sector

• Conducting programs to stimulate the mind of HSC,SSLC students about the importance of agriculture and need for it in the present economic scenario

• Agricultural based competition can be held nation wide to young minds of all standards so that they realize its importance.

• Short film can be telecasted in each and every schools in India so that they can also aspire to become FARMER in future and use their flourishing minds to promote backbone of our nation.

Small farmers still excluded from formal financial channels

Opening a rural banking wings

Creating a national rural bank with state-level regional rural banks as its wings. A bigger rural lending entity would easily achieve economies of scale. Such entities can be used for priority lending effectively

Awareness must be created among the farmers the incentives provided by governments through banks.

Being perceptive regarding the marginal percentage of loan allotted for them

National Competition Policy

Aims at creating a framework of policies and regulations that will facilitate competitive outcomes in the market

Will unify the national market removing the barriers on trade in goods and services

The potential clash between competition policy and sectored policy would generate healthy competition environment in the agricultural sector

Price Policy and Agricultural Marketing

Procurement and Distribution

Reform of APMC Act

Price support

Performance of grain market

Direct marketing through Farmer’s market

Co-operative marketing

Contract farming

Improved agricultural market systems are important for poverty reduction because:

1.agricultural growth can play a critical and unique role in pro-poor growth

2. improved coordination and exchange are critical for agricultural growth

3.improved coordination and exchange are also critical for the processes by which pro-poor agricultural growth contributes to wider growth.

Facilitating Efficient Agricultural markets in India:

An Assessment of Competition and Regulatory Reform Requirements

Various supporting programs to prosper the farming and making it economically more productive

Persons involved in the 100days

working scheme Can be

motivated to work in the land

of the poor farmer so that

both the farmer and individual is

benefited.

Stipend can be distributed to farmer during non-cultivable

period and encouraging

them to do agro related

activities such as poultry, fishing, milk

products.

Government can render a land

from a marginal farmer for lease

and promote farming by that

farmer itself and declare them as the government servant so that

they are not distracted to

other subsidiary works

Water –fuel for living that is declining to cause death:

• Government should strictly prohibit the construction of building during water scarcity for which thousands of gallons of water is used which can be used for irrigating some acres.

Infrastructure

• Industries should be periodically inspected so that the industry that is letting its effluent water into river or to the near by land should be sealed since it makes the land acidity and makes ground water saline and poisonous.

Preventing Pollution of

water

• For producing one FORD car 14000 litres of water is wasted, so the foreign companies are benefited but we, whose GDP mainly depends on agriculture is suffering without water.

Virtual water

• Planting of tress should be increased along with its maintenance on road side so the that rainfall can be increased. Rain water should be harvested by letting the water into ground so that ground water table can be increased.

Rainwater harvesting

• Smalls rivers can be inter connected so that we can save the corps from decaying in surplus rain (Eg:yavatmal Farmers) by diverting the water to places where it is essentially needed. Sand mafias should be severely punished which is the main cause of ground water depletion.

Connecting and

protecting water sources

Policy instruments for agricultural development:

Policy instruments

Technological factors

Economic factors

Institutional factors

1.Agricultural R&D 2.Seeds with original trait 3.Organic fertilisers 4.Irrigaton water 5.Farm machinery 6.Value addition & Agro processing

1.Investment in Agricultural R&D and infrastructure 2.Agricultural prices & Terms of Trade 3.Subsidies 4.Trade policy 5.Taxation

1.Land reforms 2.Rural credits 3.Extention system 4.Rural development & poverty alleviation programs 5.Market sector reforms 6.Crop insurance

Agriculture development need to be motivated throughout the nation

Agriculture need to be treated as knowledge driven

industry not just as a traditional vocation

India need to have an agriculture technology

policy. Expert group need to decide each year as to which crop, trait, strategy

has to be used

No foreign investment in agriculture should be allowed(for e.g. In tea products100% foreign

investment is permitted)

Every country concerns for their own citizens. Likewise

India should also involve Indians in agriculture &agro

based activities

Reference 1. Government of India “Report of the working group on competition

policy”, Planning commission, Government of India. 2. Prospects and Policy changes in the twelfth plan. 3. Preaching's of Nammalvar, an organic scientist from you tube and

Google. 4. Neeya naana a social awareness programme on vijay TV. 5. Accelerating agricultural development for inclusive growth: Strategic

issues and policy options. 6. Dhaka starting microfinance in India- Vijaya Mahajan, Bharti guptha

Ramola and Mathew Titus, BASIX. 7. Rural lending retrieved from

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/ 8. Priority sector Regional rural banks lending.