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TRANSCRIPT
Conservation agriculture: an option to
overcome
agricultural crisis in Kerala
K. Shadananan Nair
Nansen Environmental Research Centre (India)
&
K. R. Rethikala
Bishop Kurialachery College, India
•Kerala: - Densely populated
small state in the SW corner
of India
•Area 38864 Km2 (1.18%
of India)
•Population (2011) > 32M
(3.43%) of India
•Decadal growth rate of
population - 9.42%
State is rich in rainfall and water resources:
3000 to 7000mm rainfall
44 rivers – their numerous tributaries, canals etc
Water potential not yet fully utilised and irrigation not well
developed - 75% rainwater flows into the Sea,
unutilised
In spite of heavy rainfall and rich cultivable land, Kerala is not
self sufficient in food (produces only 25% of requirement)
Depends on neighbouring states for vegetables and cereals
High transportation cost
Presence of preservation chemicals and pesticides - health
problem
Vested political interests spoil agriculture:
Land reforms act made thousands of farmers landless overnight -80%
landlords quit agriculture
Politically motivated strikes for unaffordable wages made farming
unprofitable
Sudden strikes during the pre-monsoon harvest period and deliberate
delay inprocurement by the agencies spoil large amount of rice
almost every year
Political party even banned traditional harvest songs
Thousands quit agriculture - shortage of labourers, but trade unions
oppose farm machinery
More than half of the paddy fields have been destroyed by the real
estate lobbies - reduced crop production, worsened floods and
droughts
Changing climate:
Increasing rainfall seasonality – water shortage during pre-
monsoon months
Increasing rainfall intensity: floods/landslides
Increasing convection: convective clouds with large rain drops-
erosion of surface soil
Rising temperature – more loss by evaporation
Failure in northeast monsoon (end of rainy season) –
prolonged dry season, less groundwater recharge
Climate Models predict slight increase (0.2 C) in temperature
and annual rainfall (5-10%) in 2 decades
Increase in precipitation may not compensate for the
reduction in soil moisture due to evaporation
groundwater level depleted by 1 to 4 metres in 2 decades
seven once perennial rivers became seasonal in last century
20% of water bodies were lost in last 2 decades
Capacity of major reservoirs considerably reduced
Large scale degradation of land and waterUncontrolled illegal sand mining in rivers and watersheds:
Mining alters hydrological regime while enhancing silt movement
Millions of hectors of natural forests cleared for tea/rubber/teak plantations:landslides and floods
reduces the water storage capacity of soil
reduces storage capacity of reservoirs
soil erosion in watersheds and sedimentation in rivers
reduces summer flow in rivers
Sand/clay/gravel quarries and special economic zones destroy paddy fields
Water disputes haltered agricultural development for decades:
Major disputes are over water allocation for agriculture
Issues worsen when monsoons fail
New disputes may arise under a changing climate
Socio-economic issues associated with setbaccks in agriculture:
Shortage of reliable food
Hiking price of food
Conflict over food allocation
Rural unemployment - - growing poverty - urban migration – conflicts
Shutting down of rural bank - farmers turn to moneylenders
Drought and debt made indebted farmers to commit suicide
Mental Illness identified as key Killer by 2025 WHO
Challenges ahead:
Inflow of migrants-rising food demand
Hiking price of seed, fertilizer, pesticides
Climate extremes - shifting rainfall pattern/characteristics, extremes
in temperature, severe weather
Increasing vulnerability to tropical storms and rising sea level
(1mm/year) –threat to coastal agriculture
Change in government policy favouring industries - traditional basis
of economy shifts from agriculture to industries
Acquisition of land and introduction of genetically modified
varieties and monopoly in distribution by big firms – small
farmers unable to compete
Shrinking of farm area – encroachment by industries, real estate
Urbanization
Intensive agriculture and overuse of fertilizers-land becomes infertileNational river linking project – water diversion will badly affect
Kerala
Rising price of fossil fuel - cost of operating farm machinery, cost
of transportation and price of fertilizers increases
New banking protocol by the Reserve Bank of India for the
cooperative sector may bring agriculture lending to a
complete halt and render
Financial crisis has become a food crisis - rising unemployment,
falling incomes and high food price put enormous pressure on
poor and vulnerable groups
Another green revolution necessary to feed the millions – but,
availability of land and water decreases
Area prone to malaria will increase by at least 10% by 2080.
India has lost millions of DALYs in recent years (disability-adjusted life
years) lost due to malaria (World Bank)
Endemic regions of
malaria (1980 to 2000)
Regions likely to be affected by
malaria as per climate change
projections (HadRM2runs: IS92a
scenario-India)Bhattacharya et al., CURRENT SCIENCE, 2006
Health risk of workers:
Increasing temperature-sunburns affect working class
Increasing casualties associated with lightning
Increasing range of vector borne diseases
Introduction of conservation agriculture has proved the sustainability,
economic benefits and increase in production, especially in rice farming
Zero Budget Natural Farming (holistic agriculture) becoming popular
•Counters the commercial expenditure and market dependency of
farmers for the inputs like fertilisers and pesticides
•Involves locally obtainable natural bio-degradable materials
•Combines scientific knowledge of ecology and modern technology
with traditional farming practices based on naturally occurring
biological processes
•Uses natural pesticides and fertilizers
The measures use the natural environment to enhance agricultural
productivity:
•Planting legumes to fix nitrogen into the soil
•Green manure and composting for natural production of nutrients in
the soil
•Encouraging natural insect predators
•Crops rotation to confuse pests and renew soil
•Use of natural materials such as potassium bicarbonate and mulches to
control disease and weeds
•Erosion control with local plants
"Jeevamrutha" (Nectar of Life), natural fertilizer (developed by
Subhash Palekar)
Mixture of cow dung, cow urine, jaggery, flour, soil and water
Seed and plant diseases are treated with cheap easily available materials
like buttermilk, black pepper, neem and tobacco
For I acre: 10 kg of cow dung, 5 to 10 litres of cow urine, 2 kg of
jaggery, 2 kg of flour of green gram, black gram or cow pea with
a handful of soil and 200 litres of water.
Allow fermentation for two days
Stir twice a day for two days before using it
Apply thrice for a month
. Agricultural land should be mulched with dried grass, rotting leaves
and twigs
The dung generated by one cow is sufficient to produce "Jeevamrutha"
for 30 acres.
Can be used for any crop
Pokkali farming: oldest unique saline tolerant long stemmed rice variety
that is cultivated in an organic way in the water-logged coastal regions:
Highly environment-friendly
High medicinal value
Rice is cultivated from June to early November when the salinity
level of the water in the fields is low.
From mid-November to mid-April, when the salinity is high, prawn
farming takes over
The prawn seedlings, which swim in from the sea and the backwaters
after the rice harvest
Feed on the leftovers of the harvested crop
Sluice gates are used to control the water flow to the fields
Only fertilizer/manure to rice is the nutrients from the prawns’ excrement
and other remnants
Recognised as a Globally Important Agriculture Heritage System (GIAHS)
by FAO: unique, below sea level farming practice and traditional knowledge
in water management developed ingeniously over a century
500Km2 of the total 1100Km2 area lies 0.6 to 2.2 m below sea level
30% area is inhabited - most of the inhabited area was recovered from
water
Large area under rice cultivation - vital in maintaining food security and
providing livelihood to millions
Major project to extend and multiply rice farming is under implementation
Below Sea Level Farming
Vembanad - Kol Wetland. (Ramsar No. 1214)
Recent steps by the government:
Promotion of low cost, locally available traditional technologies in soil
and water conservation
Agreements with banks for agricultural loans with low interest and
simplified formalities
Labour bank for women to promote rice farming
Promoting agriculture through self help groups (SHGs, mostly women),
Schemes for land protection and agricultural expansion through
rural employment schemes
Arrangement for subsidised supply for seeds and fertilizers
Popularisation of modern agricultural technologies that minimises the
use of water and new concept of utilising inexpensive biofertilizers
Inclusion of environmental protection in curriculum
Vermicompost production in urban centres – employment for women
Revival and of traditional landuse practices through rural employment guarantee scheme
Heaps of sand to trap water, recharge groundwater, prepare the soil and remove weeds
Done before NE monsoon (end of rainy season)
National Action Plan on Climate Change:
Initiatives in the agriculture sector
Developing watersheds in rainfed areas
Implementing drought-proofing measures
Drought-resistant varieties
Crop diversification
On-farm water-efficient technologies
Introducing a system of credits and loans to farmers
National Agricultural Insurance Scheme
Resource conserving technologies for crop production
Response to extreme climate events
Community-level awareness and strengthening capacity to address
risks of disasters
State-level disaster management authorities (SDMAs)
Hurdles in climate change impact mitigation measures:
Lack of finance
Lack of public awareness
Poor information system/unreliable data banks
Lack of adequate planning and vision
Lacks of efficient disaster management programme and task force
Beurocracy/slow government machinery
Fragmented organizational structures
Non-cooperation among agencies and Government departments
Weak administrative and legal mechanisms
Corruption/misappropriation of money
Vested political/regional interests: rules/ regulations become farce
Social issues: conflict among different groups
Delay in projects – 60% projects have been lagging for several
years, slowing down development and causing waste of money
Recommendations…
A comprehensive, frequently updated policy for climate change adaptation
and mechanism for effective implementation
Enforcement of law to control encroachment into paddy fields and wetlands
Awareness to farmers on new agricultural practices, new drought- resistant or
pest- resistant seeds, crop diversification, etc
Joint multi-state projects in agriculture to solve water disputes
Insurance against climate extremes and simplification of procedures
Promotion and coordination of traditional and environment friendly
technologies in agriculture and water conservation
Schemes to attract young generation for agriculture
Include labourers in relief packages to tackle farm crisis
Promotion of upper land farming (around households)
Special economic package and technical assistance to small/marginal farmers
Better storage facilities for seeds and grains (poor storage facility of FCI-25%
consumed by rats)
Timely procurement of products
Encourage use of old traditional rice varieties – tolerate floods/droughts, pest
resistant
Tourism promotion in regions of wetland agriculture – income to farmers
Exploit the changes in climate:
Floodwater may be stored or diverted to dry zones or may be stored in
abandoned quarries
Based on the shift in regional climate, region of farming, time of farming
and type of crop may be changed
“On a scale of 0 to 10, India scores a poor 0.5 in preparedness for the
effects of climate change that could include severe water scarcity, floods,
drought and mass migration” - Rajendra Pachauri, Chairman, IPCC
“Current policies affecting water use, management, and development in India
are unresponsive to changing climate,”’ Prof. Lal, WG II, IPCC Report
potential high impact of climate change on the performance
of climate sensitive sectors necessitates finding suitable
adaptation options as part of a comprehensive climate
change policy
Climate change has already
started affecting the poor. Future
strategies to combat climate
change will be more effective if it
is linked to development and
poverty alleviation, ensuring
food security
Photo courtesy: AFP