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| Revitalising rainfed agriculture | | | Dr. Parveen Kumar, Dr. R.K. Arora | 3/10/2018 10:20:31 PM |
| Rainfed regions hold much importance in ensuring food security in the country. These regions are dependent on rainfall for growing different crops. These regions are characterized by frequent dry spells, very low yield of various crops, poor soil health and even crop failures. Of the total net cultivated area of 142 million hectares in the country, about 81.8 million hectares (57.6%) is rain fed. Their importance can be gauged from the fact that nearly 44 per cent of food requirement of the country comes from the rain fed regions besides supporting about 60 per cent of livestock population. At approximately 55 per cent of the country's gross cropped area rainfed farming constitutes a major chunk of the country's farm sector. Despite so much importance the rainfed regions have not got that much of importance as they deserved over the years.
Rainfed areas have high level of poverty. Out of the bottom 10 poorest districts in the country, seven are rainfed districts. According to the Rainfed Atlas of the Revitalizing Rainfed Agriculture Network (RRAN), 66 percent of the 100 poorest districts in the country are rainfed. Still another study be RRAN, the fertilizer usage in the irrigated areas is of thrice more as compared to the rainfed regions. Another interesting thing is that about 81.3 per cent of the farmers in the irrigated regions use high yielding variety seeds and fertilizers in contrast to 44.9 per cent of the farmers in the rainfed regions. This thus also means that the bulk of agricultural subsidies went to the farmers in irrigated regions leaving their counterparts in the rainfed regions at mercy of rain.
Revitalizing rainfed agriculture is thus the need of the hour and keeping in mind the government's ambitious scheme of doubling the farmer's income by 2022, it is very much imperative that the issues be addressed immediately Farming is a highly remunerative enterprise provided it is done in a scientific way. Infact there are numerous successful cases where even marginal and small farmers earn lakhs from their fields after leaving their crude, traditional methods. They have gone for diversification, used high yielding and hybrid varieties, exploited technology, mobilized themselves and from the same farms they have increased their income manifold. Many highly qualified persons who got their degrees from India as well as from abroad have left their high salaried jobs and turned towards agriculture. They have become very successful entrepreneurs and are providing jobs to many.
Towards Diversification: To make farming more remunerative; it has to be shifted towards diversification. The normal wheat-paddy or maize-wheat cycle has to be replaced. Focus should be on the introduction of new crops between them. Diversification towards high value crops like cardamom, different spices, plantation crops like tea, rubber and horticultural crops give more returns as compared to the traditional crops. The allied activities like Goat rearing, Apiculture, Sericulture, piggery also ensure the best use of available resources and compensate for the failure of crops. A report in a national newspaper mentioned of a farmer
Use of High yielding varieties: Almost for all the crops either high yielding or hybrid varieties have been developed. Climate change is also having a serious adverse impact on these rainfed regions. So, suitable drought resistant, short duration and disease resistant varieties should be developed. Along with this water harvesting structure like water sheds, farm ponds for rain water harvesting and techniques like sprinkler and drip should be promoted and widely practiced. At present farmers also spend a lot on inputs and without a scientific knowledge of the recommended package of practice for different crops, the farmers often use more of these. As a result of these there cost of cultivation exceeds the gross income resulting in negative benefit cost ratio. It is therefore necessary to aware the farmers about appropriate dosage of different inputs.
Ensuring remunerative price of the produce: The government of India announces Minimum Support Price (MSP) of different commodities; but the MSP announced by the government does not even covers the cost of cultivation. Farmers are also forced to sell the produce to the middleman at throwaway prices. Thus the government should raise the MSP of different commodities over and above the cost of cultivation by at least fifty percent. The government should also set up procurement centers at Panchayat level or should buy the produce directly from the farmer's fields. In this year's budget 2018-19, the government has announced the hike of MSP to 1.5 times the cost of production of crops. The NITI ayog will come out with suitable recommendations regarding cost of cultivation for different crops. Hopefully the farmers will get revised MSP from the ensuing Kharif season.
Farmers' mobilization: Farmers' mobilization is also need of the hour. Their mobilization by organizing them into Cooperatives, Self Help Groups (SHGs), Farmer Interest Groups (FIGs) and Commodity Interest groups (CIGs) gives those more opportunities of being heard at different levels ultimately empowering them. By organizing themselves into groups, they can have easy access to different financial institutions where they can easily avail credit and other facilities.
Livestock Management: Livestock is also an essential component of the farm families. Even those without land domesticate milch cattles. The Buffaloes besides being used as milch cattle is also used in various farm operations. But the yield of various milch cattles is very less in India. It is because of the low quality of feed available to them. The situation is more serious in the rainfed regions where there is a huge scarcity of water and green fodder. The animals get week, become susceptible to so many diseases which ultimately affects their yield. Thus livestock management is also a key to increase the income of the farming community. Timely treatment of the livestock for various diseases, provision of adequate insemination facilities, community grazing areas, water tanks and all other necessary facilities should be provided.
Towards increasing yield per unit area, creating more economic opportunities, bridging the technological gaps between them and the scientific community, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has also started the Farmer FIRST programme in the rainfed regions of the country. In Jammu and Kashmir also the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu is running this Farmer FIRST programme in different villages of Block Nud of Samba District. |
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