The main problem affecting agriculture is that farmers themselves don?t see it as a profitable option today. With the increase in population and decreasing land holding size per farm household, farmer?s indebtedness has increased. If the rains are not on their side, the crop fails and then they are often staring at mere survival. Hence it is critical for the government to address the issues of the farmers.
India has several agricultural universities, which are focusing on regular graduate/post graduate/ doctoral programs in agricultural sciences. The need of the hour is to provide ?vocational certificate courses? for the farming community who can?t attend these colleges. Farmers should be trained on how to meet soil?s nutrient requirement, use the right seed, the correct technique of irrigation and harvesting for productivity improvement.
The Government should focus on leveraging corporate sector?s link with farmers. For instance the model should focus on tie-ups for contract farming. The model may involve farm extension practices such as setting up of ?farming clinic? managed by qualified and trained agronomy experts.
The department of science & technology approves research projects & gives financial encouragements, deductions & tax breaks. The same can be extended to applied research projects in the field of farm extension work.
The irrigation facilities should be upgraded and strengthened since the monsoon pattern is fast becoming unpredictable. This should be addressed as the key rural infrastructures need. Though drip irrigation is subsidised, farmers have to put their own money into it. But this technique does not help yield (productivity of farm) to go up, and therefore savings to a farmer come through the quantity of reduced water requirement. This technique would work in water scare regions of India where economic value of water is significantly high. Another reason of this scheme not successful is higher percentage of marginal farmers (small land holdings) in Indian agriculture. The government can provide Income tax exemptions to Hybrid Seed companies (with suitable conditions), companies setting up farming clinic etc. Agricultural biotech in India has immense potential and India can become a major grower of transgenic rice and several genetically engineered vegetables.
In order to stabilise sugar industry, the government should decontrol this sector and focus on creating a strategic stocking system to reduce volatility. They can provide a framework for development of long term relationship between farmers and sugar companies.
With inflation on the rise and aspirations rising, farmers also want better standard of living. Increasing prices of the agricultural produce can be done only up to a point and therefore increasing yield and quality of produce are better options to increase farmer?s income and need to be focussed on.
?The author is chairman & senior managing director, DSCL (DCM Shriram Consolidated Ltd). Views are personal