news details |
|
|
| Much ado about nothing in J&K, growth in Agriculture sector still elusive | | | Kunal Shrivatsa
Jammu, Feb 15: Amid series of workshops, farmer tours to other states with an objective of progress of agriculture, the growth in agriculture sector of the state including allied activities which, undoubtedly, is the backbone of an agro-based economy like ours in Jammu and Kashmir still remains somewhere less than 2 percent which is not only alarming even much below if compared to the overall national scenario in the same segment.
And, to make the situation worse, the growth rate for agriculture sector has dipped further this year considering that during the Economic Survey of 2012-13, the growth rate for this sector was shown to be hovering around 4 percent.
An extensive study indicates that growth rate in agriculture including allied activities which is the lifeline of our agro economy remains woefully very low.
Taking into account average growth rate of last 7 years, it is only 2.28 percent which is far from satisfactory.
The advance estimates have put the growth rate of this sector for the year 2013-14 at 1.44 percent at 2004-05 prices which is again going down as compared to the estimates of 2012-13.
It needs to be mentioned here that for the period of 2012-13, the advance estimates have projected the growth rate of agriculture sector of the state at 3.84 percent at 2004-05 prices.
The share of agriculture and allied activities to Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) is continuously decreasing. Its share in GSDP has scaled down from a very high of 56.64 percent in 1970-71 to 32.58 percent in 2000-01, then to 28.06 percent in 2004-05 and reached to a very low level of 19.96 percent as per advance estimates for 2013-14 where as the advance estimates for 2012-13 had projections of 20.56 percent.
Despite the annual Economic Surveys of J&K are highlighting the reasons for poor performance of agriculture sector year after year, it seems, the state government is yet to come to reality and doing nothing to improve the scenario.
The major causes due to which the agriculture sector in the state is not performing upto the mark needs immediate attention of the government, however, the authorities are least bothered and the situation is getting deteriorated further.
The area under food grains over the years has remained stagnant. The productivity of land as compared to its potential is less due to low NPK consumption. It is worth noting that NPK consumption in 2011-12 per hectare was 87.40 kg compared to 243.56 kg per hectare in Punjab and 144.33 kg per hectare in the country.
In yield parameters, J&K is lagging far behind in many crops, with more or less stagnant yields, that are lower than most of the states. Last 3 years' average yield rate of food grains is around 15.5 quintals per hectare which is again far less when comparing it to that of 19 quintals per hectare at the national level.
It is indeed ironical that one of the basic infrastructures like irrigation is not exploited to its optimum level by the state government thereby leaving the agriculture sector of J&K in doldrums and hampering its growth.
The Economic Survey J&K for the year 2013-14 said, "Irrigation facility revolves between 42 percent to 43 percent of the net area sown and 56.78 percent is still a rain fed area."
"A major constraint to the development of agriculture in J&K is the fact that only 50 percent of the ultimate irrigation potential of the state has been harnessed," it added.
If exploitation of irrigation potential is low which in turn is taking heavy toll of agriculture sector in the state then the basic amenities like roads and communication considered to be vital for sustaining growth of agriculture sector are also not in good shape in J&K as pointed out by the Economic Survey 2013-14.
"Basic infrastructures like roads and communication regarded as very crucial for sustaining growth of agriculture sector are woefully poor. Besides marketing facilities are also inadequate resulting in low productivity, not benefitting the efforts of the farmers properly," said the Economic Survey 2013-14.
It is notable that a World Bank study conducted in 1977 estimated that 15 percent of agriculture produce is lost between farm gate and the consumer because of poor roads and inappropriate storage facilities alone, adversely influencing the income of the farmers. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
