Jawans

Sowing ProsperityBoosting Agricultural Productivity

Jawans -IIT PatnaSunny Luthra

Krishna Mohan RoySumit Saini

Suraj PrasadRupesh Kumar

Contribution of Agriculture to India’s GDP has plummeted

Because India Deserver Better 2

• 51.9% in 1950-51

• 30% in 1990.

• 13.7% in 2012.

o Focus shifting from Agrarian Economy to Industries and service sector. In a normal development of an economy, this is expected to be normal.

oAlthough contribution to GDP has declined sharply, but

food grain production and productivity has risen:

Production Increased from 230.8 million tonnes in

2007-08 to 255.4 million tonnes in 2013-14 (fourth advance estimates)

Similarly, productivity of food grains has increased from

1,860 kg/hectare in 2007-08 to 2,125 kg/hectare in 2012-13

(fourth advance estimate).

o Also, Gross Capital Formation (GCF) investment in agriculture sector

(at 2004-05 prices) has increased from ൘ 69,148 crore in 2004-05

to ൘ 1,30,907 crore in 2010-11.

oMoreover, Average Growth Rate is also Positive.

What is the Challenge then?

Looking from a different angle


oGrowth rate for agriculture sector during 11th FYP was 3.5% as opposed tothe overall economic growth rate of 8.2%.Failed to achieved targeted 4%.

o In the same period, farm wages grew at 6.8% while non-farm wages grew at 16%.

oToday, India’s productivity is only 3.1 ton/hectare Vs global average of 4.2 ton/hectare.

Is our land less fertile? Aren’t we capable of more? Lets discuss the issuesand their possible solutions.

Problems Faced:


A. Lack of Labour.B. Lack of water.C. Lack of Awareness amongst the farmers.D. Shifting of “ex-farmers” with from rural to urban areas.E. Lack of proper assurance and help from the government.F. Lack of access of technology to the farmers.Need for better R&D.G. Lack of storage facilities.H. Less focus on Agriculture in a growing economy.I. Bad food grain export Policy.J. Absence of a Decentralised governing body at block level.K. No crop production between rotating crops.L. Bad PDS.


Water is regalia for the farmers:• Farmers face a persistent water scarcity

problem. They rely massively on rain andmonsoon.• Water is not easily available for irrigation.• We talk of BGREI(Bringing Green Revolution

in Eastern India) today. For that, we shouldmake more canals in the east like Indira Gandhi Canal in the north-west.

• Water level is decreasing in Punjab and Haryana because of use of fertilisers.

Lack of Labour: •As we have seen wages are less in this work.• People need an impetus to help farmers

in agriculture.•One thing is to offer them incentives and

fix wages. Incentives could be putting their children to school.

•Government takes land by forcefor public services like railway etc.•A farmer with only that land isforced to go to city and earn.• Solution:

There should be a provision inwhich government gives a percentage of earning from thatland to you.Government can also try to givethe same area of land elsewhere.

Land Acquisition by the government:

•Agriculture should be taught from school Level itself especially in rural schools.• It will give the rural masses an opportunity to avail themselves of the benefits of agricultural sciences which will increase agricultural yields, and improve the sustainability of Indian agriculture.• This will help in recruiting a separate cadre

of agriculture educators.

Agriculture as a subject:Agriculture as a subject:

Suno Kisaan, Utho aur Kadam Badhao


•There is a complete lack of awareness amongst the farmers. ICAR is there But there should be some provision in which farmers all over the country are told about things like:

- which seed to use. Can use Vermi-Compositing.(e.g. zinc-enriched varieties of seed started in Bangladesh. These are

capable of fighting diarrhoea and pneumonia).- which fertiliser and pesticide to spray(encourage organic farming).- how to make land/soil more fertile.- machine tools available for usage.

We have example of north-east(Sikkim) where they have switched to organic Farming.ICAR can give internship to people from other agricultural research institutesto go and inspect the land and encourage farmers to do it rightly. They canalso fund them for their fests so that they can organise competitions and Campaigns.


Crop Rotation and Waste Management: Crop Rotation and Waste Management:

• Growing Rice and Wheat in rotation decreases fertility of land. Need to grow crops like mint in between.

• Use of waste left after harvesting should be done. Farmers find burning that thing the easiest but that also decreases the fertility of land.

Use of Technology: Use of Technology:

• 30% corruption can be reduced by making things computerised.•So, keep record of land of each farmer. This can onlyhappen taking the system at block level. That will help in everything else like selling of land, giving on lease, previous year production stats, fertilisers used, further improvements etc. •Give each farmer’s land a tag. Use geo-stationary satellites for imaging and possible steps a farmer can take. Data will be feeded to systems at block level.

• Give them proper subsidy.

• Buy their grains at a genuine anddeserving rate.

• Don‘t lure them that opening mills nearby their farms will help them. Those mills refuse to pay the farmers a deserving rate.

Proper Assurance from the government:Proper Assurance from the government:

• It is very unfortunate thatalmost 40% of fruits and vegetableproduce of our country gets ruined.

• In one year, govt. spends ൘484 per quintal for storage. Better to give them subsidy tobuild their own store room.

• Either store them, export them or give them to athe destitute.

Food Security Bill Passed, Compounds Needed more than ever.

If we can have proper storage for liquor,Why not for food grains?

Lack of storage facility:

Finally What government should do?


Body at Block Level

FCI

ICARICAR

Market

•Computerised Record of each farmer.•Sufficient storage capacity. Will take care of Labour. •Water will be supplied at Block level. •Proper rate negotiation with FCI.•Common transport and bulk dispatch.•Can also sell directly to the market.•Place to do internship and awareness programs, advertisements.

Academic Institutions

References


http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2013-08-30/news/41618996_1_gdp-foodgrains-allied-sectors

www.equitymaster.com

Central Statistics Office.

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-09-09/news/33713635_1_agriculture-sector-gross-capital-formation-cent

http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/rice-revolution/

http://thediplomat.com/the-pulse/2013/08/15/can-indias-agriculture-sector-be-saved/

Rajya Sabha Debate : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWg4zwGMt3E

Satyamev Jayate Episode : Toxic Food – Poison On our Plate.

Jawans

Technology

lack of water

fertility of land

agriculture sector

record of land

area of land

contribution of agriculture

lack of labour

water level