Since taking over as director general of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)?India?s premier agricultural research and training institute?S Ayyappan has been busy giving shape to policy and strategies to ensure that the farm sector grows by at least 4% per annum envisaged under the 11th Plan.
A satisfactory farm growth is vital for overall rise in GDP because more than 60% of the country?s population directly or indirectly depends on agriculture. After the monsoons failed last year, adversely impacting kharif output for some crops, the focus is on rabi harvest of 2009-10. Rabi contributes almost 54% to the total food grains production annually. Ayyappan spoke to FE?s Sandip Das and Shishir Behera about the prospects of rabi crops this year and also on the general agriculture scenario. Experts:
What are the challenges currently faced by India?s agriculture sector?
Due to climate change, natural disasters have become too frequent. Indian agriculture has been facing challenges from recurring instances of flood, drought and erratic rainfall pattern. Climate change has brought forward issues of soil health and post-harvest management of crops to the forefront.
We face several other challenges as well, like low awareness of soil health and fertilisers. Diversification of crops would be our focus for not only increasing farmers? income but also for improving soil quality.
Given that in India agriculture is much more than just another profession, which are the crops ICAR would like to redouble its focus on?
As India is dependent on import of pulses to meet its growing local consumption, we need strategies to enhance pulses yield from 650 kg per hectare to 1,200 kg per hectare over the next few years. For achieving this, the role of Krishi Vigyan Kendras (for providing extension services) is crucial for ensuring timely inputs to farmers.
What are your views on the rabi crop prospects this year, given that we had an unsatisfactory kharif?
We had a very bad kharif crop in 2009 due to deficient rainfall and extended summer, as a result of which rice production in the country was severely affected. But rabi crop in 2009-10 should be very good because of prolonged low temperature which is going to influence wheat production. Harvests have just started in many parts of the India and specially north India. We expect wheat production this year to be over 80 million tonne. Similarly, we are expecting good production of pulses. Last year production of pulses was 14 million tonne. There could be at least 10% increase in pulses production this year. So, there are some happy trends.
You come from a fisheries background; what is your view on this vital but largely neglected part of Indian agriculture?
India has potential to vastly improve yields of high-end fish varieties such as prawns, ornamental fishes etc. Fisheries would be our key focus area over the next few years for harnessing true potential of the sector.