Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Magazine Jan 2021
Magazine Jan 2021
Making
Attractive
January 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY 1
2 AGRICULTURE TODAY January 2021
From the CEO’s Desk...
From the CEO’s Desk...
President
Reverse Migration Due to Lockdown…
I
Dr. MJ Khan
CEO & Group Editor
A Blessing in Disguise!
Mamta Jain
Group Executive Editor
Rajni Shaleen Chopra
For the magic of new beginnings!
read somewhere that in a digital world, geography is history.
With Niti Aayogtransforming the dynamics for a New Digital
W
Editor Agri News hile the
India, world slowly
sustainable work begins to reopen
opportunities afterIndia
in rural the initial Covid lockdown,
will lead
Sanjay Kumar we’re still wrapping our heads around its potential long-lasting effects.
to a new revolution of reverse migration. But before this
One thing that has likely changed forever: Role and importance of
could happen, an unprecedented pandemic trigered distress
technology in our life. Adapting to this new normal, the agriculture industry has
movement of labour back to their roots. There are crucial
Andhra Pradesh geared up to revolutionise its operations with new and existing technologies.
activities in a cropping cycle like sowing and harvesting which
Satish Babu Gadde
are labour-intensive.
Now, There is
the million-dollar lesser involvement
question of manpoweremerge
is… Will agriculture in between
as the saviour of
Bihar
due
ourtoeconomy,
technological postadvancement
pandemic?and Whatmechanization.
paradigm shifts To enhance
will befamily
required for this to
Girendra Narayan
income,
happen? thisHere
excessarelabour
someinimperatives…
rural areas migrates to urban areas and
Haryana
seeks employment as per their varied skills. India’s corona virus lockdown
Bijender Singh Dalal · compelled
Robust supply chain to of linkthis
domestic & international
home, due tomarkets
STATE HEADS OF ATG BUREAUS
adoption of innovation.
Ankit * Adaptability to climate change, effective climate risk
Web Designer & Developer Grain storage mitigation
at family levels, new grain
strategy storage silossituations.
for challenging and cold storages,
Early warning systems
Deepak housingfor projects
minimising for skilled andofsemiskilled
the risk buildingchange
erratic climate industryevents.
workers and
Graphic Designer upgrading
* Optimum the rural infrastructure
utilisation can be answers
of available for tackling
water resources. Water management
Abhishek this anomalous
initiatives situation. Agro-tourism
like watershed management,isdrip another
irrigation and precision agriculture.
innovative agricultural
Incentivising activity that
with measures like can
loanbe promptly
waivers to farmers for judicious water use.
Circulation
developed,
* Farmer leveraging
Producerupon Organisations
this bizarre scenario. (FPOs) have
Rajkumar
More
the than a profession
potential or a business,
to give farmers,agriculture is
better bargaining
India’s
powe,culture.
create Hence,
a moreaddingtransparent
additional income agri-market.
generating
Leveraging initiatives
on thetostrengths
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aggregation and
DESIGN
Editorial 03
Insight
Agriculture: Could it be a
14
Profession of hope? 30
Building Grassroots
Vital Agri Extension Priorities 32
at INTERVIEW
Agri Concern Shri Rajju Shroff
Green technology pesticides
must reach all farmers 34
18
Agri Vision
There is only One Milk: Bovine Milk 42
Policy Thrust
Visioning the Cold Chain in 2021 44 The Blueprint
Dr GR Chintala
Crucial Links
The Rise of Digital Pathways
Shaping Agri Education Under ICAR 46
The Argument
Farmers should take control of APMCs
38
Agri Vision
Uttarakhand Cooperative Development
Programme (UKCDP) 58
AT Scrutiny
54
Opportunities and Challenges for Poultry 62
ATG Letters 64
4
AGRICULTURE TODAY January 2021
From the
PresIdent’s
desk
Anatomy of Farmers Agitation -
10 Facts
T
he farmers’ agitations that broke out in Punjab with the passage of
three farm bills gained momentum with the formation of the 30-party
coordination committee and with the support extended by political parties
and certain stakeholders. The initial engagements of farmer leaders with
the Government happened late and were informal in nature. The Government
restricted itself to explaining benefits. Farmers insisted on written assurance on
continuation of MSP and treating MSP as floor price. As no positive signals were
seen, the farmers in Punjab backed by political and business interests decided
to intensify the agitation and move the protest sites to Delhi. I have been involved
in coordination with farmers’ bodies. Here I list the 10 developments that led to
the situation that we face today:
1. No consultation with farmers before or after the Ordinances or before
tabling the bills in the House, and until September 30, 2020.
2. The adoption of the route of Ordinances for ordinary business matter; Bills
not being referred to select committee for wider consultations.
3. Weak initial arguments of BJP spokespersons that this will help farmers
a) sell anywhere b) store any quantities c) decide price themselves. Farmers
enjoyed this freedom earlier too.
4. Government’s wait and watch approach helped farmers expand the
Dr. M.J. Khan
From the PresIdent’s desk
protests constituency to the Hindi belt of the Green Revolution area of Haryana
and Western UP.
5. Use of force in Haryana garnered domestic and international support for
farmers
6. First official invitation sent to disproportionately large number of 30
farmers unions and of Punjab alone. The meeting was on a subject that needed
political view, but no Minister was present in the meeting.
7. As protests site shifted to Delhi, these gained massive media focus
nationally and globally. The government then upscaled the meeting to a group of
three ministers led by the Agriculture Minister.
8. The composition of meeting being disproportionate representation of one
side and non inclusion of farmers voices which take balanced view or supported
these bills.
9. Lack of effective articulation by BJP spokespersons about the benefits of
legislations for small farmers, FPOs and agri start-ups.
10. At Vigyan Bhawan meetings, lack of broad representation of other key
stakeholders such as FPOs, start-ups, trade, industry, states, farmer leaders
from other states. This made the scope narrow and created deadlock.
The Government now has limited options to amicably resolve the crisis.
Broad-basing the discussions to include other key stakeholders, involving state
governments in consultation, accepting one or both key demands, making MSP
the floor price and passing to the states the same formula as SAP for sugarcane,
formation of agri reforms commission, suspending the legislation for six months
to buy more time could be the solutions. Scrapping these Acts and converting
them into Model Acts for States to adopt could be the last option. But it shall
not be progressive. Market reforms are vital for unleashing the potential of
farm sector for the benefit of farmers. All the experts and expert committees
constituted during the last 25 years are unequivocal in their recommendations
for widespread market reforms.
The author is Chairman of Indian Chamber of Food and Agriculture and can be
reached at chairman@icfa.org.in
I
ndian Agriculture is in the midst of a manthan. Like the famed editor’S desk
Samudra Manthan of Hindu mythology, this agricultural churning
shall lead to vital and consequential impact.
How will our farmer double their yields without compromising
the soil or ownership of their land? How will they market the
produce from remotest villages without being exploited? How will India’s
smallholder farmers sell their surplus yield anywhere in the country, given
the logistical nightmare they shall face?
The change is underway. Small-land-owning farmers do not need to go
into the logistics of selling to far-off markets. Instead, the private sector is
doing this job for them.
In Haryana, corporate players have set up godowns all along the
Chandigarh-Hisar road. The corporate sector is going big into the purchase
and sale of vegetables in some states. More private companies can set
up storage facilities/silos and efficient supply chains to make the job of
small scale farmers easier.
Demystifying
Agri Market
Reforms
and The Way Forward
A
griculture has moved from
a production driven system
to a demand driven system.
Connecting farmers with
consumers is very critical
which is now possible due to digital
tools. Matching the demand and supply
will ensure better prices for the farmers.
Currently the agricultural supply chain
is too long. Farmer gets hardly 30% of
the consumer price. The Mandis, where
the farmer has been mandated to sell
his produce all along, are dominated
by cartels of middlemen who have
been exploiting the farmers. The
MSP does not always prevail
about the at Mandis. Many crops
author operate at market prices,
Mr Ram Kaundinya determined by the demand
is Director General, and supply situation, both
Federation of Seed inside and outside the
Industry of India (FSII)
mandis.
Out of the 23 crops
covered by MSP government
mainly buys Rice and Wheat at
MSP. Is it estimated that if the government
buys all the 23 crops it will cost them Rs.
17 lakh crores annually!! Government
procures about 70 million tons of food
grains annually for public distribution
system and welfare programmes – mostly
from Punjab and Haryana. This assured
outlet of rice and wheat made the farmers
of Punjab and Haryana prosperous but
of the Central govt and the State education campaign about the reforms
governments. It is essential that the and create an appreciation for the need
governments of all States and different These reforms hold for reforms among common people.
political parties agree on implementing The two Acts will need a few
these Acts with full vigour. Appropriate the key to the future of amendments to make them more
consultations may be held with States
and other political parties at the highest
Indian agriculture and effective. Here is a list that the
government may consider.
level in the Central government. Some the farmers. It is time for a) A regulatory body may be set
of the states have made good progress up, under these Acts, to oversee the
with APMC reforms in the last five years all stakeholders to show operation of the markets and to prevent
and hence should be on board.
flexibility and resolve the any price cartelization by the private
2. The implementation of the buyers in the markets. A fear of such a
Act and setting up of necessary issues through a dialogue. regulatory body is necessary to keep
infrastructure by the government as well the private sector within reasonable
as by the private industry will take a few
It is in the interest of the boundaries of price, service and
years. It would be good to give at least Indian farmer to do so efficiencies.
2 years transition time to implement b) Based on the powers provided
these Acts and meanwhile focus on the under Section 4 of the FPTC Act, the
following: Central government may set up a
a) Governments may announce Digital registration system to register all
a large fund to upgrade APMC Mandis, funding support from banks & Value the private buyers who are entering the
which need better infrastructure, chain strategies will facilitate this. market. a national registration number
technology and modern storage e) State governments may set should be given to each buyer based on
facilities. They are located at very up an Agri Business Office in each their background, track record, financial
good locations and should use that district which will advise the farmers capacity, etc. The proposal in the Act
advantage. The cartels of middlemen with trading, making contracts, sharing that anyone with a PAN number can
should be dismantled in these Mandis. commercial knowledge and information buy the produce from farmers is not
These mandis will continue to play an and similar support activities. adequate.
important role in achieving a balance f) Safety net of MSP may be c) Dispute settlement
in the markets and in facilitating needed for some of the farmers for this mechanism as per Sections 13, 14
procurement by the government. decade. This assurance may be given and 15 of Chapter III of the FAPAFS or
b) Announce a major budget to by the government in writing. Sections 8,9 and 10 of the FPTC Act
conduct a large scale capacity building g) Set up a large fund to make is not adequate. The Act should give
campaign for farmers and FPOs to FPOs effective. Each FPO may need farmers the freedom to go to court if
educate them about the new laws, some seed fund from the government they are unhappy with the order of the
on making contracts, using digital and also help in setting up a SDM or the Appellate Authority.
platforms, etc. The entire country should professional leadership team for FPOs d) Govt may stagger bringing
be covered in the two year period. of certain minimum size. This will help in different crops under the coverage of
c) Set up a national digital making the FPOs achieve critical mass FPTC Act. It is not necessary to bring
platform consisting of ENAM and in operations with good governance all crops under coverage immediately.
selected private platforms so that this standards. Over a period of next 3-4 years crops
grid can be seamlessly used by farmers h) Set up a designated authority can be brought under coverage in
to sell their produce. Integrate quality in each district for registration of all batches. This will make it a smooth
assessment facilities on the same the contracts being entered into under process for farmers in different parts of
platform. However setting up physical section 12 of FAPAFS Act. the country and will not create a panic
aggregation centres and quality grading i) Announce massive incentive among them.
systems is also very important. programmes for farmers to undertake These reforms hold the key to the
d) Encourage private industry to crop diversification in Punjab and future of Indian agriculture and the
invest in setting up private mandis and Haryana and take up cultivation of farmers. It is time for all stakeholders to
other infrastructure during this two year Oilseeds, Maize, Vegetables and other show flexibility and resolve the issues
period and scale up operations quickly crops which are under demand. through a dialogue. It is in the interest
after that. State level policy support, j) Launch a major public of the Indian farmer to do so.
Indian
Agriculture:
Superpower
As the doyen of the agrochemical industry and a global
leader what are your views on Indian agricultural
food grain/vegetable/cotton farmers doubling as milk producers,
goat, poultry keepers and aquaculturists.
sector?
India now ranks second largest in the world in agricultural How can Indian farmers’ income be doubled as
production. The top three countries in the world in agricultural envisaged by the government?
production are China> India> USA. India’s agricultural production We have adequate production of most agricultural commodities.
of $459 bn is almost double of the USA that supplied food grains Our focus should shift from production to marketing and
to us to tide over food shortage and starvation in 1960s. increasing consumption within and outside the country.
India’s agricultural GDP expanded sluggishly rose from In order to bring price stability in domestic market, we must
$25bn to $101bn, between 1970 till 2000 as the growth was export more. India’s share in the world’s agricultural export is just
cereals centric-mainly rice and wheat. 2% i.e. $37 bn out of world agricultural export of $ 1780 bn.
However, between 2001 and 2019, India’s agricultural The country needs to push its agricultural exports to USD
production leapfrogged over 400% from $101bn to $459bn 100 billion by 2024 in order to double farmer’s income. Indian
driven largely by high value segments such as horticulture, dairy, agricultural sector must be recognized and promoted as an
poultry and inland fisheries. export intensive sector.
Two-third of India’s agricultural GDP now comes from India is the second largest producer of fish in the world (13.4
Horticulture and Animal husbandry. The future of Indian million tons) a major part comes from inland water and aqua
agriculture is very bright. culture. This shows our water systems remain most conducive
for aquatic life.
What makes Indian agriculture vibrant and very India’s honey production increased from 10,000 tons to
different? 120,000 tons in the past 15 years About 50% of India’s honey is
Like Indian culture, agriculture in India is highly diverse. exported. The environmental activists have created an erroneous
India’s climate diversity, soil diversity, crop diversity and picture of Indian agriculture with negative narratives. This must be
diet diversity are all interconnected. They work in harmony to challenged and changed. The true progress of Indian agriculture
make our agriculture holistic, broad based, strong and highly must be widely published.
sustainable.
India is a multiproduct agricultural powerhouse. No other Did COVID-19 hinder the growth of Indian agriculture
country grows and consumes as many food commodities as India. or agri-input industry in any way?
India’s small sized family farms function 12 months a year as they If there is one sector that has remained unaffected by Covid-19
practice a unique kind of mixed agri-horti-livestock farming. induced lockdown, it is agricultural sector India. We had a bumper
Indian farmers are multiskilled. It is common in India to see kharif harvest. I am confident the rabi season harvest will set
another record. farming, zero budget natural on Cancer (IARC), a body of WHO, has
As agriculture sector has remained farming, spiritual farming, etc.? published a list of 120 substances as
relatively unaffected and registered The agricultural production system in known human carcinogens under Group-I.
growth, the agri input industry has also the world was 100% organic until 1960s No pesticide currently in use figures in the
registered considerable growth. when the world population was less Group I.
It is noteworthy to mention here that than half of what it is today. The organic In India, the high cancer rates are
India’s agricultural export since April- Nov farming failed to enhance the crop yields in North Eastern states of Mizoram,
this year has registered significant growth to supply adequate food to the increasing Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam
of approximately 10 percent compared to population. and Sikkim, which are not agriculture
the same period last year. Food shortages and starvation deaths intensive states. Punjab (mischievously
were common in India till 1960s, in the era branded as cancer capital by foreign
There are reports in the media of organic farming forcing our government funded activists) stands as low as 24 in
alleging 50% of pesticides sold to seek and accept food aids from foreign the list of states ranked by cancer rate in
in India are spurious and sub- countries, notably the USA. It fetched India.
standard. Your views on this? us the infamous tag of “ship to mouth In fact, Singapore, which has no
The Indian agrochemical industry has existence”. agricultural activity, has 250% higher
established a strong presence in the What a significant progress since cancer rate as compared to India.
global markets in over 140 countries. then! India has now emerged as the Blaming agriculture for cancers is plain
Enabling policies and supportive second largest in agricultural production rumour mongering by foreign funded
regulatory systems would help the Indian in the world. The application of science activist NGOs. Their ulterior motive is to
industry to accelerate the export from and adoption of intensive farming have tarnish the image of Indian agriculture, the
the present $3.4 bn to $8bn in the next made the difference. It is time to salute second largest in the world.
3 years. science, it is time to salute our farmers.
However, there are vested interests Remember, with all the hype, the area India is a leader in production and
in the form of importers who do not want under organic agriculture as of 2019 in the export of generic pesticides similar
Indian industry to flourish. The importers world is only 1% of the total area under to generic pharmaceutical drugs.
want our country to be dependent agriculture. How can India further increase its
on MNC in other countries. They are In other words, 99% of the world global presence?
spreading disinformation that Indian agriculture is under scientific farming. Out of the global pesticide market of $65
industry is producing and selling spurious The trend will continue as long as the bn, nearly 65% is of generic pesticides.
pesticides. They are the ones who allege population is on the increase. India is a leader both in generic
that 50% of pesticides available in the pharmaceuticals and generic pesticides.
country are spurious and sub-standard. You have challenged the myths that When Indian generic pesticides enter
This is completely false. link cancers to use of pesticides. global market, many companies in
Information obtained under RTI Act How can the general public be Europe and USA simply stop their
shows that in the two years (between made to understand this? production and begin to source from
2017-18 and 2018-19) various state govts. Widespread disinformation about India as they can not compete with us on
analyzed as many as 54,938 pesticides pesticides misguides the general public quality and price front.
samples for quality. Out of this, more than as well as legal and regulatory authorities India’s pesticides industry can easily
97% samples were found conforming to in India. Behind every disinformation increase the exports to $8 bn in the next 3
the quality standards. Only 2.8% were campaign linking cancers to pesticides, years from the present level of $3.4 bn, if
found to be not meeting quality standards. there is a foreign funded activist NGO. supported by enabling regulatory policies.
Pesticides imports into India are Yes, it is a myth to link cancer with Arbitrary interpretation and
already up by 25% in this fiscal when use of pesticides. Cancers can result from implementation of Insecticides Act by
compared to last fiscal. This increase multiple causes. authorities and regulatory uncertainty
completely negates government’s efforts India ranks 172 in the world in Cancer adversely affect domestic production and
under Atmanirbhar Bharat, Go vocal for rate as per the latest data released in export of generic pesticides. We cannot
local, Make in India etc. Our authorities November 2020 by the World Health run with chains tied to our feet.
must act immediately to check imports Organization (WHO). Among the top The regulators must give up their
and promote domestic production. ten countries with high cancer rate, six bureaucratic “command and control”
countries are in the European Union. attitude and become facilitators in the
What are your views on organic International Agency for Research interest of Indian farmers and industry.
Atmanirbhar Kisan
paves the way for
Atma Nirbhar Bharat
T
he pandemic has served up an opportunity to re- requirement of stock limit in normal circumstances.
shape our policies and work towards building At- The third important legislation is The Farmers (Empower-
manirbhar Bharat. It is vital to strengthen the agricul- ment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm
ture sector through various reforms, infusion of Services Act, 2020 which provides a legal framework for con-
technology, modernisation and capital tract farming in India. Along with these legislations
investment. Realizing the opportunity, the gov- an Agri Infrastructure Fund with a corpus of Rs.1
ernment has brought a slew of measures to lakh crore has been created for funding Agri-
revamp our agricultural ecosystem. The culture Infrastructure Projects at farm-gate
most important reform brought in by the & aggregation points (Primary Agricultural
government is the Farmers’ Produce Cooperative Societies, Farmers Pro-
Trade and Commerce (Promotion and ducer Organisations (FPOs), agriculture
Facilitation) Act, 2020. This will help entrepreneurs, start-ups, etc.). To add to
to provide adequate choices to the these, a Rs.10,000 crore scheme for the
farmer to sell produce at an attractive formalisation of Micro Food Enterprises
price, barrier-free inter-state trade and (MFE) has been initiated. This will help
framework for e-trading of agriculture nearly 2 lakh MFEs to achieve technical
produce. up-gradation to attain Food Safety and
Another major reform is related to Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) food
an amendment in the Essential Com- standards, build brands and marketing. All
modities Act 1955 to take out Agriculture these reforms have laid out the basic ground
foodstuffs including cereals, edible oils, work to take agriculture on a new sustain-
oilseeds, pulses, onions and potato able and prosperous path in the
from its ambit. It means no years ahead.
both farmers and contracting entities. this as an opportunity for these states to
The liberalisation of the ECA, promotion de-stress themselves from the national
of inter-state trade and contract farming The recent farm reforms food security burden and move towards
provides an opportunity for FPOs to link will incentivise the FPOs an alternative cropping pattern, given
directly with buyers or corporates across
the country and also to develop more
to expand their scale of that a host of complex issues – from farm
distress to ecological crisis-have gripped
direct-to-consumer supply chains, and in operations and partner with their farm economy. Whereas the govern-
the process, improve their incomes. the upcoming agri-startups to ment claims diversification on over six
It is also important to ensure that lakh hectare, the ground reality is that the
agricultural expansion in the future is for-
create an efficient agriculture area under wheat and rice has increased
ward looking and inclusive. As per World supply chain during the last four years while the area
Bank estimation, India has more than under alternative crops such as maize,
140 million internal migrants. Due to the oilseeds and pulses has decreased.
pandemic, large scale reverse migration It is high time that farmers of Punjab
took place. This might affect women farm- largest beneficiaries of green revolution. and Haryana should look beyond wheat
ers and gains achieved by them over the However, green revolution has severely and rice. New reforms will open the gate
past decade. As per economic survey impacted cropping pattern in Haryana for private investment in these states
2017-18, over 73 percent of rural women and Punjab with most farmers cultivating and farmers need not rely on wheat and
workers are working in agriculture sector. government procured wheat and water rice to get remunerative prices for their
Reverse migration may push women to guzzling paddy. produce. Similarly, in other areas like
undertake the least paid and most menial Various agriculture reports, perti- Western and Central India where sug-
agricultural tasks. In negotiating space for nently Johl committee reports of 1986 arcane is being cultivated despite the
women, role of Women’s self-help group and 2002 highlighted that Punjab should severe water crises in these regions,
(SHG) and NGOs become vital. SHG diversify cropping pattern and switch over it is important that right incentives are
federations and village organizations can to pulses, oilseeds, fruits and vegetables provided so that crop diversification is
play a bigger role in providing the supply in place of the traditional wheat-paddy adopted in these areas.
of inputs and ensure collection and mar- cycle that is no longer remunerative for
keting of produce. farmers and has also dried up the state’s Ensuring Adequate Credit
groundwater resources. Punjab State Availability in Agriculture
Crop Diversification and Farmers’ Policy (2018) also found that One of the problems that have emerged
Sustainable Agriculture after green revolution Punjab opted for during the pandemic is credit for the
The new era also requires us to make paddy and wheat cultivation which has Kharif season. With more than 30 mil-
sustainable choices for the future. In ag- now become stagnant, uneconomical lion farmers who have received a mora-
riculture this requires rethinking our crop and unsustainable for farmers to produce torium on loans until August, 2020, the
patterns such that agriculture tomorrow these crops. prospects for securing Kharif crop loans
is not just productive, but also remunera- Although Punjab and Haryana are do not look bright. Banks rarely provide a
tive and resource efficient. Punjab, Hary- significant contributors in the nation’s to- second loan when an earlier one is out-
ana and Western UP were seen as the tal foodgrains procurement, many see standing. Once the lockdowns lift, banks
tioned non-credit growth ingredients. The market buoyancy. It is equally Bio fuels from agro waste
weak contribution of credit to agricultural important to set-up dispute These offer ample opportunities to con-
growth can also be addressed with proper
targeting of agricultural credit to achieve
resolution mechanisms in vert waster into wealth, prevents stubble
burning and reduces import bill. Alterna-
the desired impact on agricultural growth. the form of arbitration bodies tive energy systems by creating Solar as
at the district or sub-district Third Crop requires urgent attention. Cre-
Agriculture for the Future: Infusion
of Technology in Agriculture
levels, which are easy and ating an Agri Stack on the lines of Indian
Stack would give seamless connectivity
With the emerging applications of Artificial cost-effective for both farmers of markets, service providers, processors
Intelligence (AI) in agriculture, it has be- and contracting entities to farmers. Blue Financing – dealing with
come possible to reach solutions based water which is becoming scarcer day by
on data that indicates weather condi- day is another area of promise.
An approach
to attain
sustainability
in agriculture
A
griculture remains critical Apart from these effects, a shift is also
to India economic progress underway towards increased demand for
in the coming decades, processed foods.
leading to further health issues down local biodiversity, enhancing the climate
the value chain. resilience for crops, contributing towards
Natural farming promotes the Sustainable Development Goals
Groundwater Depletion sustainability and boosts (SDGs), and supporting the achievement
Nearly 90% of India’s annual groundwater of the Global Nutrition Targets 2025 of
consumption comes from the agriculture local biodiversity, an access to affordable and safe food. With
sector. Over time groundwater became important aspect in the intercropping as a core tenet of natural
the predominant source of irrigation in farming, an automatic diversification
India, rather than surface water. Nearly fight to adapt to and of production is encouraged through
two-third of India’s irrigated areas is mitigate the impact of this method. Natural farming is a more
being fed by groundwater. Combined efficient in water use as well. A study
with flood irrigation practices, India’s
climate change. India published in February 2020, covering
water-use efficiency – especially in can lead the way for five districts in Andhra Pradesh during
the agriculture sector – is among the the kharif season, found savings of
lowest in the world. Rising demand from
the world in introducing 1,400-3,500 cubic metres of water per
industry and domestic use is further a new paradigm for acre per paddy cropping period.
The potential for agro-ecological
exacerbating India’s water problem. NITI
Aayog’s Composite Water Management
agriculture, which is practices to meet India’s twin goals of
Index (CWMI) has noted the alarming sustainable, productive and raising productivity whilst maintaining
situation of groundwater depletion in the
remunerative to farmers sustainability is immense. Efforts must
be made to scientifically document and
country. The government has focused
on promoting micro-irrigation, and validate agro-ecological practices in
progress has been made after launch of is both sustainable and resilient to the various agro-climatic regions of India
PMKSY. impact of climate change. One solution to achieve scale. By reducing input
with potential to ensure both productivity costs, farmer returns are increased.
Threat of Environmental and sustainability is agroecology. NITI Natural farming promotes sustainability
Degradation Aayog has been taking the lead in the and boosts local biodiversity, an
Further intensification of inputs, without promotion of natural farming, a farming important aspect in the fight to adapt
interventions promoting efficiency, method that relies on locally sourced to and mitigate the impact of climate
may lead to substantial environmental inputs leading to substantial reductions change. India can lead the way for the
degradation. With the effects of climate in input costs. world in introducing a new paradigm
change beginning to be felt, the need The practice holds promise for for agriculture, which is sustainable,
of the hour is to promote farming that improving biological soil health and productive and remunerative to farmers.
Agri Reforms
The Way Forward
for NAFED
A
griculture and allied activi-
ties are the primary source
of income for around 58%
of total population of India.
Due to lack of adequate
post harvest infrastructure and linkages
for connecting farmers to markets, 15-
20% of agricultural yield is wasted annu-
ally.
Dr RS Paroda
Agriculture
Could it be a Profession of 20 21 ?
W
ithin the current in agriculture, and this includes
decade we shall livestock, but contributes a meagre
gain the dubious less than 16% to the national GDP.
distinction of This simple fact itself gives a clear
being the most idea of how low our productivity
populous nation in the world. We is, and what a lost opportunity it
about the author
Vital Agri
Extension
Priorities
W
ith the increasing productivity, development of high value season based on the availability of input,
population and de- horticulture, livestock and fisheries, intro- facilitate custom hiring and provide infor-
mand for better qual- duction of newer varieties for pulses and mation about various GOI schemes. The
ity and higher quan- oilseeds. The effort of KVKs has resulted following prioritized extension interven-
tity of food, fibre and in increase in income of farmers and pro- tions should be emphasized for sustain-
feed, performance pressure on farms is motion of farm-based enterprises. KVKs able agricultural development and ad-
increasing. As per ICAR estimates, de- should collaborate with state develop- dressing agrarian challenges.
mand for food grains shall increase from ment agencies, NGOs and other stake- Creation of National Level Farmers’
192 mt (2000) to 345 mt (2030). In the holders to provide technology training, Database for delivery of customised
next 20 years, production of food grains advice on selecting crops for the coming farm advisory: KVKs and other exten-
needs to be increased at 5.5 mt annually. sion agencies send farm advisory through
The frontline extension system has mobile messages and even through web
been playing a critical role in dissemina- portals. Most such messages are sent in
tion of improved technologies and provid- Commodity Groups bulk to the farmers of a whole region or
ing customised agro-advisories as well and Commodity district. They often fail because they are
as services to the farmers. Our 721 Krishi not farm specific and need based. Each
Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) are regarded as
Clusters can be formed locale, each farm, every farmer faces dif-
an institutional innovation that effectively for farmers to take ferent problems. Hence generalized ad-
link agricultural research and extension
at the district level. They play a key role
advantage of aggregation visory is not helpful. A National Farmer
Database will contain information on
in transfer of modern and emerging tech- of resources each farmer in the country with respect to
nologies in agriculture and allied sectors. location, land resources, crops cultivated
This has led to increase in production and and other relevant parameters. This shall
immensely help in agricultural research, exten- works and appropriate infrastructure. Store- about the authors
sion and effective delivery of farm advisory. houses, agricultural markets with easy access,
Strengthening Technology Support proper sheds and storage facilities, cold chain
Institutions: Technology support can be facilities for transportation and storage of per-
strengthened by establishing a four-way mode ishables like milk are essential to combat such
of communication – between labs, from land to losses. Effective grain storage with minimal
lab and lab to land, and between farms. Every grain losses can significantly contribute toward
village can be facilitated by an ACABC to offer reducing overall food losses for smallholder
farmer doorstep service and generate employ- farmers and have an immediate and signifi-
ment in rural areas. The technical support of cant impact on their livelihoods. Value addi-
Farm Tele-Advisors needs strengthening. The tion and processing of farm produce can also
number of KCC can be increased. Continuous reduce post-harvest loss and enhance farm-
capacity building of agricultural extension pro- ers’ income. Value Addition and Technology Dr A K Singh is Deputy
Director General (Agricul-
fessionals in Agricultural Journalism deserves Incubation Centre in Agriculture (VATICA) has
tural Extension), Indian
priority attention. Common Service Centres been conceptualized by ICAR to create a facil-
Council of Agricultural
numbering 3.5 lakhs may be utilised to serve ity to provide incubation training to rural youth Research, New Delhi. He
as ‘Extension Delivery Points’. KVKs need to in processing and value addition. ICAR on its is engaged in Lab to Land
be strengthened to focus on income enhanc- own funding support will create 3-4 units as initiative for empowering
ing technologies in PPP mode (value addition, model units in the KVK campuses. farmers by technology
post-harvest, agri-business enterprises). Promotion of Cooperatives and Com- dissemination and knowl-
Agri-preneurship and Business Incu- modity Clusters for Quality Management edge sharing through a
bation through Skill Development of Rural and Control over Market: There are plenty network of 721 Krishi
Vigyan Kendras; pursuing
Youth: Extension service can organise more of examples of successful cooperatives in In-
important programmes
buyer-seller meets to expand scope for di- dia, like AMUL and Mother Dairy which op-
through KVKs on food and
rect selling by farmers, and explore scope for erate at national level. Unfortunately, these nutritional security, cli-
contract farming, creation of farmer producer success stories have remained confined only mate resilient agriculture,
to the dairy sector. Similar cooperative struc- women and youth empow-
tures should be promoted in other agricultural erment, farmer advisory,
sectors to take advantage of aggregation of doubling farmers income
resources. Commodity Groups and Com- and other issues
modity Clusters can be formed for farmers.
When small farmers are facilitated to organize
groups, trained and guided properly, they can
attain tremendous development goals to make
the group self- reliant and self-sufficient. Link-
ing primary producers with modern food su-
permarkets is seen as a way to improve rural
livelihoods, especially small producers. It is im-
organisations and village producer organisa- portant to ensure that the process of establish-
tions. ICAR schemes like Attracting and Retain- ing linkages between corporates and primary
Dr R Roy Burman is Prin-
ing Youth in Agriculture (ARYA) and Student producers is not exclusionary in nature and
cipal Scientist (Agricul-
READY (Rural Entrepreneurship Awareness becomes a win-win deal for participants in the tural Extension), ICAR-
Development Yojana), along with GOI schemes supply/value chain. IARI, New Delhi
like Skill India, Start-up India, Stand-up India, A robust and efficient extension system
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana are which is capable of meeting the evolving
playing a significant role in capacity building needs of farmers in the context of changing
of the farming community, especially the rural agricultural scenario is the need of the hour.
youth. Through these inititiaves, successful It shall enhance farmers’ income and also en-
agripreneurs can be developed in rural areas. sure sustainable growth of agricultural sector.
Post–production Infrastructure and It is time to strengthen the structural frame-
Processes: Huge post-harvest losses can be work of extension system to fulfil its ever wid-
reduced by establishing strong marketing net- ening scope.
Green
technology
pesticides
must reach all farmers
T
he role of crop protection solutions insures a farmer’s
investment on other inputs. It also ensures the food,
nutrition, health, wealth and environment security of
the nation. We need to strengthen our farmers by pro-
viding them latest technology i.e. green technology
pesticides which are only used a few grams per hectare. The new
technology pesticides are much safer for humans, animals and the
environment. They minimize
the burden of chemicals in ag-
riculture and environment. Agrochemicals, especially
Our Government recently
made a landmark move to
pesticides are firefighting
allow drones to cover almost tools and the only
70% of India’s landmass. option to control
Spraying of agro-chemicals
through drones will benefit the
pest outbreaks
huge Indian farming commu-
nity in dealing with the cyclical
menace of insects, pests, fun-
gus, weeds etc.
The government’s vision is that of ensuring
the reach of latest technology to even the most
marginal farmers. For the dream of making
India a US$5 trillion economy and agri-led,
we need these technologies at the earliest.
about the author
Shri Ram Gopal Agarwal is the
Group Chairman of Dhanuka
Agritech Ltd.
21st Century
An Inflection
Point for India’s
Agriculture
I
t was by millions of years of The pre-agriculture forager man
evolution, that the first Homo learnt to identify and collect consumable
species appeared on earth grains from the forest areas around
3,50,000 years ago, and there 20,000 BCE. The next milestone in the
were at least five of them. Over civilizational march was 9,500 BCE,
the time period that followed, the one when man took to husbanding of crops
species that survived finally is Homo and domestication of animals. These
Sapiens, to which the modern man initiatives should be recognised as an
belongs. inflection point in human history. This is
what ensured mankind safer and surer
Dr Ashok Dalwai is CEO, access to food, enabling the growth of
National Rainfed Area human settlements and evolution of the
Authority and Chairman, first civilizations.
Empowered Body, Doubling India has been one of the 11 global
Farmers’ Income hotspots that mark the beginnings of
agriculture on earth. It was 10,000 years
ago that the first seeds of agriculture
were sown at a village, today called
Mehragarh at the foothills of Bolan
heights in Baluchistan. This grew into
one of the largest human settlements
between Indus and the Mediterranean.
Beginning 7,000 BCE, there is also
evidence of harvesting of rice and
sedentary settlement at the present
day Lahurdeva village of Sant Kabir
Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh.
The early Harappan era (5,500 to
2,000 BCE) saw early agricultural
settlements growing into towns.
During 3,700 to 1,500 BCE, the
practice of agriculture spread
over different parts of India,
encompassing Eastern Rajasthan, from food deficiency in the 1960s to food Monetisation of Agri-produce
Southern India, Vindhyan region of sufficiency by 1970s, and finally to the Generally, one talks about the importance
Central India and Swat Valley of Kashmir. current times challenged by food surplus. of remunerative prices on the farmers’
Thanks to diverse and conducive produce to generate profits. While it is
climate and soil systems, agriculture Price Disequilibrium no gainsaying that transfer of higher
emerged as a robust primary economic Supply of agri-produce in excess of real remunerative prices is good for
activity over the last 10,000 years. It demand results in lower prices, to the the farmers, it should be borne in mind
secured food, fodder and feed; generated disadvantage of farmer-producers. Such that this is only a necessary condition
jobs; supported agro-processing and price disequilibrium in the market is a and does not meet the condition of
other rural & cottage industries; and disincentive to farmers, as it causes low sufficiency. Farmers need to sell all their
created wealth for the society. This period returns on investment and loss of potential marketable surpluses at best prices. This
constitutes the civilizational past of India, income. The contemporary challenge can be achieved by enabling the farmers
anchored around the agriculture sector. to sustaining of agricultural production to reach out their marketable surpluses
and profits for the farmers needs to be without compromise of quality to the
The Post-Independence Period addressed by a comprehensive post- demand centres, which may be near or
Beginning with 1947, when India gained harvest management. far from the farm gate. This suggests
independence and embarked upon a new the need for appropriate agri-logistics
era of socio-economic transformation
and up to the current times, the period
Farmers will need a market comprising primary processing, storage
and transportation systems for both
can be described as India’s Present. structure that is integrated over perishable and non-perishable nature of
Even during this period, it is agriculture agri-produce.
that has been a major economic activity time and space, for them to A robust and integrated agri-logistics
from the perspective of supporting
harvest the price advantages. system will convey the agri-produce from
livelihood. It was near 80 percent of production zones to consumption zones
the society that eked out its living from Monetisation comprising in sync with supply-demand situation
agriculture when India rolled out its first
five-year plan in 1951. Even today, a high
agri-logistics, processing and across the country, besides facilitating
integration with global market. In effect,
of 48 percent of the country’s elephantine marketing efficiency can alone this helps in integrating physically
size of 1.30 billion population depends dispersed spot markets to the advantage
upon agriculture directly or indirectly. help the farmers to capture of farmers, and let them harvest the
Supported by science and technology
and facilitative policy framework, Indian
maximum value on their scope for remunerative price discovery.
This is spatial integration of markets.
farmers have transitioned the country marketable surpluses Simultaneously, farmers also need
to be supported in conquest of time, man has used most of the fossil resources
which beside space is an important The country’s production built over millions of years by nature.
element of marketing efficiency. All agri- Concomitantly, man-induced green-
produce when in surplus cannot be pattern can go beyond just house gases (GHGs) have resulted in a
consumed locally or even in far-range food, fodder and fibre to climate change. There is now an urgent
consumption centres, immediately or need for hitching the manufacturing and
within a reasonable period of time once also include industrial raw transport foundation of the economy to
harvested. The unconsumed produce materials. An effective renewable sources. The modern science
is subject to decomposition, since agri- of processing makes it possible to adopt
produce is a living organism. linkage between farms, bio-economy, to generate bio-materials,
It is therefore important that the industrial and energy bio-enzymes and bio-fuels.
period of sale is extended to find later The bio-economy will need bio-
day demand. This approach is enabled
sectors will be a win-win resources as feed stock. This demand can
by subjecting the produce to agro- context be met from the agricultural and forestry
processing which includes both food sectors, which are biological production
and non-food processing. When the systems. Here arises the much-needed
produce undergoes physico-chemical on the back of improved technology. This opportunity for the agricultural production
transformation on processing, the shelf hints at the urgency of expanding the system to be reoriented to tap the new
life gets enhanced and suitable value horizons beyond the conventional agri- demand for bio-resources under bio-
can be captured on the raw produce of markets for food, fodder and feed. economy. The country’s production
the farmers. The processed produce can Agriculture since its beginning pattern can go beyond just food, fodder
travel over greater spatial distance, and has been associated with food for the and fibre to also include industrial raw
also conquer time that normally results in humans and the animals. The R&D, materials. An effective linkage between
food decomposition and food loss. This is government policies and programmes farms, industrial and energy sectors will
integration of markets over time. have mostly been tailored to meet this be a win-win context. While agri-produce
In sum, the farmers will need a requirement. However efficient the will find a market in the industries and
market structure that is integrated over new market architecture is, it can be energy domains, the latter will find
time and space, for them to harvest hit by a new challenge of surplus over renewable sources of raw material, and
the price advantages. Monetisation demand unless the cafeteria of agri- result in lower output of GHGs.
comprising agri-logistics, processing and produce is diversified. This leads one to The way forward for the agricultural
marketing efficiency can alone help the the necessity of functional expansion of sector of the country from the perspective
farmers to capture maximum value on agri-produce, in contrast to the territorial of growth, and for the farmers from the
their marketable surpluses. expansion realised through an upgraded perspective of their income-linked welfare
agri-logistics and processing. rests in finding new markets for the agri-
Functional Expansion of produce. It is, therefore, necessary to
Agricultural Markets The Future of Agriculture – Bio- continuously work on positive disruptions
Having examined the critical role of economy and create territorially and functionally
expanding the market space over space The world since the industrial revolution expanded markets for farmers’ produce.
and time, it would help to consider has been led by an economy whose Agri-reforms at all stages including
another aspect of creating new demands. wheels are rolled by the fossil resources, pre-production, production and post-
Surpluses can be expected to arise from including fossil fuels like coal and production will become sine-qua-non in
increasing productivity-linked production petroleum products. In just 250 years, the 21st century.
Technical Specifications
Flow Range Nominal Max. Working Connection Gross Drain Volume of
Flow Pressure Weight Size Collection Chamber
m³/hr m³/hr kg/cm² Inch kg inch litre
12-30 25 8 2 7.2 1 10
20-40 40 8 2-1/2
40-60 50 8 3
There is only
One Milk
Bovine Milk
P
ost the success of Operation Flood in In-
dia, dairy and animal husbandry sector
emerged as the primary source of income
for about 10 crore rural households—
comprising of either landless, small or
marginal farmers. With a contribution of 4.2% in the
National GDP and 28% in the agricultural GDP, dairy-
ing has become a tool for poverty alleviation, a means
of having secured livelihood and an instrument of so-
cial change and empowerment in the lives of millions
of rural households. Apart from being a source of sus-
tainable income, dairying has always commanded a
prominent place in our country’s social and cultural
heritage. This occupation has always had the power
to unify millions of farmers across India and shielded
them from the perils of various natural calamities like
draught.
Valued at Rs. 8 lakh crores ($ 110 billion), milk
is the largest agricultural crop of India, bigger than
the value of Wheat, Paddy and Pulses put together.
Milk and dairying are the means for doubling farmers’
income in an agrarian economy like India.
Of late, many activists with the backing of certain
lobbyists are promoting “plant based” products. They
are denigrating milk and milk-based products on so-
cial media platforms. These pseudo activists have
resorted to slanderous campaigns for planting the
idea that consumption of milk and milk products are
unhealthy and unethical. Propagation of such false
claims regarding milk will result in a tarnished image
of the dairy sector. It shall also impact farm gate pric-
Visioning the
There is fresh focus on organising
the farmer-producers so that
village communities can interlink
Cold
clustered activities in an enterprise
format.
Production alone is not seen
as a sufficient condition. Long
overdue emphasis on post-
production activities is coming
to fore. Farming can no longer
be relegated merely to serfdom
Chain
functions of cultivation, rearing,
harvesting or catching of produce.
The new favoured approach
includes ensuring that production is
translated into wholesome delivery
at demand side. Production
delivered, in-full, in-quality and in-
time, is farming fulfilled; naturally
in 2021
demanding that agri-logistics is
a secondary agricultural activity.
This is where cold-chain becomes
imperative, as it is the sole means
to safely handle perishables in
A
the post-production phase of
surreal dream their marketable life-cycle. By
becomes a perishables, I include to mean all
persuasive vision fresh produce with an inherent
when it is rooted expiry – such as fruits, vegetables,
in some tractable meats, fish and milk. Their
ground realities. Some material production, to varying degrees, is
dimensions slowly improved over dependent on biological factors.
years and were accelerated in this But once harvested, they must
year gone by. connect with consumption within a
New pathways for the cold- predetermined time-line.
chain sector have surfaced. There The Indian consumer has a
is renewed government support in deep-rooted preference for fresh
the form of an agri-infrastructure produce, which is often seen to
fund. The government has made be more nutritious and aids the
reforms in agri-marketing and body’s resilience to disease. The
essential commodities acts. market for fresh meats, fish, milk,
Shaping Agri
Education
Under ICAR
I
ndian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) - National Agricul-
ture Higher Education Program (NAHEP) has been promoting and
embracing the digital transformation in agriculture education in
country.
Only digital agriculture has the potential to enable the country to
meet its dual goals. One, raise the income of smallholder farmers.
Two, continue to strengthen the competitiveness of Indian agriculture.
Digital agriculture means the usage of ICT and data ecosystems to
support the development and delivery of timely, targeted information
and services. The purpose is to make farming profitable and sustain-
able while delivering safe nutritious and affordable food for all.
ICAR commenced NAHEP with the assistance of World Bank
(WB) in November 2017 with the objective to support participating
Agricultural Universities (AUs) and ICAR in providing more relevant
and higher quality education to students. This shall create a more
skilled workforce that continuously improves the productivity of key
sectors including agriculture. Overall, the project aims to develop
resources and mechanism for supporting infrastructure, faculty and
student advancement. It aims to provide means for better govern-
ance and management of agricultural universities. Hence, a holistic
model shall be developed to raise the standard of current agricultural
education system. It shall provides more jobs, be more entrepreneur-
ship oriented and on par with global agriculture education standards.
The project is also a Multi-Global Practice collaboration (Agricul-
ture and Education). It supports activities and results directly related
to cross-cutting strategic areas of climate change, jobs and gender.
About 58 Agriculture universities (AU) have been awarded with 18
projects under Institute Development Plan (IDP) 16 AUs under Cent-
ers for Advanced Agricultural Sciences and Technology (CAAST) 24
AUs under Innovation Grant (IG).
Among several digital initiatives under NAHEP, digitization of
Farmers N
ew agri-trade laws have provided
options to farmers to choose
their buyer and the prices to sell
their produce with or without
commission. This freedom of
should take
trade gives bargaining power to farmers. In
order to protect their monopoly on commission
and other commercial interests, the commission
agents and traders mobilised some farmer
control of
leaders to oppose the new agriculture laws. In
order to build farmers’ sympathy and support,
they introduced the demand for legally mandated
Minimum Support Price (MSP).
APMC s
Farmers Poor, Commission Agents Rich
In the last 70 years, small and medium Indian
farmers have largely remained poor. Middlemen
and commission agents are among the richest
Annual increase in MSP has people in the society. It is clear that the existing
system is not benefiting small farmers. It is
encouraged import, reduced export benefiting the middlemen. After 56 years of
existence of APMC and FCI in Punjab and
other protesting regions, farmers are still feeling
helpless without FCI procurement and unable to
stand on their own feet. This means something
is seriously wrong with the system. Even after
56 years of tax payers regularly supporting
the farmers through MSP, they have remained
underdeveloped, and a few hundred have
become rich at the cost of many million poor
farmers. In which country will you find this?
There are views that the government
assurances on MSP do not convince the
farmers, because they are witness to the
diminishing significance of the APMC mandis
as the new farm laws came into force over the
last few months. For example, out of 259 APMC
mandis in Madhya Pradesh, 47 recorded zero
business in October, and 143 saw trading drop
by 50 per cent in the last six months. The solution
proposed is to make MSP legally mandated and
at higher rates.
Points to consider
l Today, MSP of most Indian crops
is higher than global market prices.
That is why we are losing in the
export market.
l Many APMC markets are getting
less volume. The same traders are
buying outside mandis because
now they do not have to pay taxes.
l Farmers are selling outside APMC
markets because they are getting
better prices.
l If MSP is legally binding, what will
be the liability of the government
if private trade also develops a
cartel and refuses to buy? Does the
government have the budget to buy
the produce from all farmers?
l No one is talking about the quality
for MSP rates. Who will buy the
material which is substandard?
What should be the price for that
material?
l MSP is an ever-increasing cost,
with further demands to hike it.
World markets are becoming
cheaper. This will make the private
sector import more, instead of
buying from Indian farmers. Then
who will buy the Indian produce?
The classic case is edible oils. 70 pc
of edible oil is imported. Sunflower and who is benefiting? l India had to quit RCEP because our
crop has virtually vanished because l India was exporting 45 lakh tons agriculture cost of production is so
it was unsustainable to compete of maize every year. Now it is less high. Due to the ever-rising MSP, we
with imported crops. Demand for than 5 lakh tons due to rising MSP. cannot be part of any international
sesame and groundnut oil has Maize is 50 pc cheaper in the world trade agreement.
reduced drastically. What does this market. Expensive maize means l The MSP formula proposed by
indicate? opening the floodgate for poultry the Swaminathan committee
l The sugar sector is suffering due imports. If poultry suffers, maize encourages inefficient production.
to ever-increasing mandatory FRP. farmers will suffer more. Higher the cost of production, higher
Now without subsidy, we cannot l In the last few years, imports have will be the MSP. Organic agriculture
export. First pay subsidy to grow become cheaper. Our imports needs fewer resources and has a
sugarcane. Then pay subsidy to have grown at a faster rate than lower cost of production. It saves the
export. Is this good economics? Is our exports. As the Indian rupee environment and also consumers’
this good for the national economy? becomes stronger, imports will health. According to CACP-based
Whose money is getting blocked come cheaper. Swaminathan Formula, they should
get less MSP, because their cost APMCs as well. Direct interaction with farmers. Buyers have the choice of not
of production is low because and consumers will give them learning on buying expensive crops from Indian
they claim that there is no loss of which crops to grow, and which one to farmers, when imported items are
productivity. Is this logical? avoid. cheaper. Annual increase in MSP will
2. While making any policy, keep an ensure more and more agro-commodity
Way Forward eye on the global market. With increasing imports from cheaper suppliers.
No one can ensure sustainable profit MSP, there will be more imports and Please learn from our own
other than consumers. Most consumers prices will crash sharply in India. The experiences. Why did Chinese product
are paying higher than MSP for all crops. private sector will buy that crop which can flood Indian markets? Why are MSMEs
It is not reaching the farmers.Who is be sold higher than the purchase price suffering? Indian consumers are buying
keeping the farmers’ share? Who is and after adding all overheads. They will Chinese products, but not Indian MSME
responsible for the leaks? These leaky prefer to import because they can do products. Why?
pipelines should be changed with direct value addition to absorb the higher price I do not want Indian farmers to suffer.
farmer-consumer interface. This was the in some cases. That is why I am opposing this move
demand of many farmers’ bodies since India is part of the global economy. planted by commission agents. This
industrial liberalization. With rising cost of production, we will move shall block the consumer-farmer
be further marginalised. Our agro- direct interface facilitated by agriculture
Possible options processing industries will also suffer reforms. Only consumers can help
1. Hand over all APMC markets to because of rising costs. Exports will farmers, not the government. Farmers
farmers. Farmer bodies should replace suffer, and imports will rise. So the must come forward as Cooperatives,
commission agents. This way, farmers main issue is how to make agriculture FPOs or as any other collective
will have full control of the market and profitable for farmers and competitive organization. They must take charge of
pricing system in the APMC market for trade. We need better technologies, all APMC mandis and deal directly with
and also outside. With full control of infrastructure, market intelligence and buyers. The state government should
the market, farmers can decide the guidance for farmers. hand over all APMCs to farmers. This
price based on consumers capacity In my personal view, MSP as a will give full control of market prices to
to pay, like any other sector. Are state concept has not outlived its utility. In farmers.
governments willing to help the farmers surplus commodity markets MSP Unless farmers have direct control of
by giving them control of APMCs? approach will not work. Legally binding APMCs, they will never get a fair share of
Farmers are managing Amul and many MSP will create more problems than prices paid by the consumers or buyers.
similar companies. They can manage solutions for all stakeholders, mainly Please think over this suggestion.
K
rishi Manthan, the annual
Food and Agri summit at In-
dian Institute of Ahmedabad,
was organized successfully
on December 26-27, 2020.
One of the largest of its kind, the conclave,
previously known as Amaethon, has a
strong legacy of over 15 years.
Conducted entirely in virtual mode
due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the
summit hosted more than 2100 partici-
pants from 310 colleges worldwide. The
conclave put together an incredible line
up of two speaker sessions, six work-
shops, nine events, and a panel discus-
sion. The organizing team consisted of 30
students from PGP- Food & Agribusiness
Management Program under Prof. Vasant
Gandhi’s guidance. Prof. Gandhi, Faculty
Advisor of Krishi Manthan ‘20, provided
the team with his valuable time, advice
and support.
Speakers
The summit boasted of pioneers in the
Agriculture sector as prominent speakers,
who provided the participants with their
valuable insights. These included Dr. Vijay
Paul Sharma (Chairman- Commission for
Agricultural Costs & Prices, Ministry of
Agriculture); Dr. Anil Gupta (IIMA Profes-
sor and Padma Shri Awardee), Dr. Harsh
Kumar Bhanwala (Director CIFL & former
Chairman NABARD), Mr. Arijit Guha Ma- giants. Some noteworthy workshops were try’s best minds who competed to prove
zumder (R&D Director, Mondelez Inter- “Inclusive Grassroot Innovations and Agri- their mettle. The events gave the competi-
national), Mr. Kamlesh Kumar Sharma Entrepreneurship,” “Fundamentals of Ru- tors a challenge for every domain from
(Chief Public Affairs & Communication ral Finance and Financial Inclusion,” “New strategy, advertisements and marketing,
Officer, Hindustan Coca-Cola beverages) approaches in sales and distribution of case studies, and business plans. With a
to name a few. Food products and Beverages,” “Block- participation of over 1100 individuals for
chain and IoT applications in Agri & Food,” the informal events, more than 3500 indi-
Workshops “Market Research for Food & Agri Prod- viduals for the formal events, and a prize
With over 1500 registrations, the virtually ucts and “Fundamentals of Commodity money pool of Rs 3,00,000, the events
conducted workshops provided the at- Trading and its applications in the futures tested the participants’ strategic thinking,
tendees an experience of real-time busi- market.” problem-solving and management skills
ness scenario with unexpected problems to bring out their innovative entrepreneur-
and opportunities for the young business Events and Competitions ial spirit.
enthusiasts to learn from the able guid- The events and competitions, both infor- Agriculture Today was the media part-
ance of innovation leaders and corporate mal and formal, hosted some of the coun- ner for Krishi Manthan 2020.
Dairy Industry
Sweet Success,
Robust Growth
I
ndia has been the leading producer dairy industry is expected to maintain 15
and consumer of dairy products per cent CAGR over 2016-20, and attain
worldwide since 1998, with sustained value of Rs 9.4 trillion on rising consum-
growth in the availability of milk and erism.
milk products. Dairy activities form an India has progressed from
essential part of the rural Indian econ- being deficient in milk produc-
omy, serving as an important source of tion at 20 million MT in 1970
employment and income. However, the to currently the world’s largest
milk production per animal is significantly milk producer at more than
low as compared to the other major dairy 200 million MT. World-famous
producers. brands want to enter the In-
Moreover, nearly all of the dairy pro- dian market considering the
duce in India is consumed domestically, huge demand for dairy here.
with the majority of it being sold as fluid Indian dairy brands are be-
milk. On account of this, the Indian dairy coming global. FDI is also visible
industry holds tremendous potential for in this business segment.
value-addition and overall development.
According to an Edelweiss report, Importance of dairy sector in
India’s dairy industry is worth Rs 5.4 tril- India
lion by value, having grown at 15 per cent Mr Radhey
Dairy farming is among the oldest busi-
CAGR during 2010-16. Going ahead, the nesses in India. It provides families with Shyam Dixit is
Founder and
Chairman, Ananda
Dairy
access to more nutritious food. Subsist- as compared to just the base product –
ence dairy farming provides fresh milk liquid milk. As the spending capacity of
and is a source of basic income for the Indians is increasing, so is their willing-
family. It also provides the family with val- ness to buy healthy super foods, which
ue-added products such as yogurt and we like to call as value-added products.
Mr Dixit is into yoga and medi-
cheese. These products have the poten- Value-added products in the dairy indus-
tation. His appearance in the
tial to provide higher source of revenue. try include cheese, paneer, ghee, yo-
Ananda promotional videos is a
Dairying is an important source of ghurt, probiotic drinks etc.
class apart. In a series of ani-
subsidiary income to small/marginal There is a major increase in the de-
mated videos, Mr Dixit has been
farmers and agricultural labourers. The mand for milk in India, partly due to the
featured in diverse roles, including
manure from animals provides a good growing population. Our population is ex-
as the much-loved police officer in
source of organic matter for improving pected to count 1.5 billion by 2035. Peo-
Bollywood blockbuster Sholay
soil fertility and crop yields. Dairy farm- ple are attracted towards healthy food in
ing is now one of the major occupations one pack, which can be fulfilled by the
around mega urban centres, where the dairy products.
demand for milk is high. The current even help ease the symptoms of autism
milk production is 200 million MT, which in children. Goat and donkey milk are Scope for Indian Dairy Sector
is growing at a rate of 3-4 per cent per also gaining favour among health enthu- There are immense opportunities in the
annum. Milk consumption in India is in- siasts as they are light on the stomach Indian dairy sector, which also lead to
creasing at the rate of 6 per cent per an- and packed with essential nutrients. much scope for improvement. In India,
num. Niche dairy products such as fla- average herd size is small. Hence mega
voured camel milk powder, camel milk- milk processing houses should encour-
Products in dairy sector based skin care products or goat milk age farmers to opt for organic growth
The major products in the dairy sector ghee will definitely attract more consum- in farms, viz. more output from same
are Milk, Flavoured Milk, UHT Milk, Goat ers in 2021. Also, there will be growing animals. In addition, dairy companies
Milk, Camel Milk, A2 Milk, Organic Milk, demand for healthy, A2, chemical-free should focus on farmers’ needs, and pro-
Curd, Probiotic Products, Flavoured and and organic milk. vide them with the required equipment
Frozen Yoghurt, Buttermilk, Lassi, Ghee, and services. Efforts must be made to
Butter, Cheese, Paneer, Cream, Khoya, Consumption pattern in India improve the quality of milk. The country
Dairy Whiteners, Skimmed Milk Pow- The consumption pattern of dairy prod- must collectively aim for nil residual effect
der, Ice Cream, Sweet Condensed Milk, ucts in India is unique as compared to of pesticides and antibiotics in milk.
Dairy Sweets and Whey. some Western countries. It has been
noticed that Indian consumers are in- Challenges for Indian Dairy Sector
Opportunities On the Rise in creasingly getting health-conscious. The The Indian dairy industry faces challeng-
value-added dairy products industry
Indian Dairy Sector es like availability of green fodder, global
is seeing marginal growth. Change in warming, maintenance of unproductive
For years, the dairy industry was fo-
consumer mindsets has led to various animals, extension services for dairy-
cussed only on cow and buffalo milk and
changes in the dairy sector. Lifestyle al- ing, forward integration for better pricing,
milk-based products. Rising Internet pen-
terations have led to an increase in the lack of common services for milking, AI,
etration and increasing consumer aware-
demand for value-added dairy products silage, hydroponics, bio gas, clean milk
ness have upended this long-standing
norm. Today, consumers are increasingly Production, preventive health and nutri-
inclined towards better, healthier alterna-
Niche dairy products such as tion etc.
tives such as camel milk, goat milk or
donkey milk. flavoured camel milk powder, Economics
For instance, it has become common
camel milk-based skin care As of 2018, India is the leading milk pro-
knowledge that camel milk does not con- ducing country in the world, accounting
tain A1 casein and beta-lacto globulin. products or goat milk ghee for more than 19% of the global market
Hence camel milk is fit to be consumed
will attract more consumers share. The milk processing industry in In-
by those suffering from milk allergies and dia is expected to expand at a compound
people who are lactose- intolerant. Cam- in 2021. Also, there will be annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than
el milk is also gaining popularity since it
growing demand for healthy, A2, 14.8% between FY 2018 and FY 2023.
aids digestion, improves gut health, may It is expected to reach Rs 2,458.7 bn in
prevent high blood pressure and may chemical-free and organic milk FY 2023.
Transformation of
Agri-Marketing
ecosystem in India
A
lmost 111 million farmers are structure for collection at the farm gate. The
registered for the Pradhan result is that we process less than 10% of
Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi our food production and lose approximately
(PM-Kisan). As per the Agricul- Rs 90,000 crore annually (various studies
ture census of 2015-16, India mention a range of figures). Immense wast-
has 146 million holdings which is a rise from age of produce is caused by a fragmented
138 million in 2010-11. India has 7,000 odd and discontinuous cold chain.
APMC mandis (2477 principal regulated Out of 36 states and union territories,
markets and 4843 sub-market yards for giv- 18 states have enacted reforms allowing
ing market access to farmers. The density of establishment of personal market yards/
regulated markets varies from 118 sq. km. private markets. Nineteen states have en-
in Punjab to 11,214 sq. km. in Meghalaya. acted reforms allowing direct purchase
As per National Farmers Commission 2004, of agricultural produce from
a regulated market should be available to agriculturists by B2B
farmers within a radius of 5 km. Not enough players. Twenty
effort has been made in developing infra- states have en-
acted contract farming acts. Most states processors to reach farmers directly out-
have exempted levy of taxes and costs side the APMC Mandi. This shall help
on sale of fruits and vegetables. farmers to realize better price of their
Successive expert committees have produce, especially for commodities
recommended reform within the mandi not covered under MSP. Competition in
system, enabling framework for contract buying from the farmers shall also mean
farming and bringing clarity to the con- better services for the farmers, and pre-
ditions under which the Essential Com- vention of practices that are natural out-
I spend my leisure time by read-
modities Act might be invoked. comes of monopolistic structures.
ing books, doing meditation,
With improved market linkages post
walking and day dreaming about
Causes for agrarian distress FPTCA and FAPAFSA, we’ll also see a
conceptual solutions for various
Indian farmer incomes have been held shift in what our farmers produce. Direct
development issues
back through restrictive also as pre- engagement with agribusinesses shall
scriptive trade policies that focused on lead to increased understanding of mar-
ensuring managed lower prices of ag- ket demand and price patterns. Farmers
ricultural commodities to consumers Path-Breaking Reforms in Indian will focus on growing crops with higher
across classes. Skewed terms of trade Agriculture market price. This will reduce our de-
of agriculture vis a vis other sectors have The path-breaking reforms include The pendency on imports.
depressed the incomes and wealth of Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce Digital platforms will increase with
farming communities. Myriad marketing (Promotion & Facilitation) Act (FPTCA), participation by FPOs who shall under-
regulations have resulted in local optima 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment & stand the fundamentals of creating con-
for prices in markets across states. Inter- Protection) Agreement on Price Assur- tracts, agricultural commodity markets,
state barriers created by APMC restric- ance and Farm Services Act (FAPAFSA), price forecasting etc. Post reforms, there
tions have reduced income opportuni- 2020, Liberalization of control orders un- shall be increased volumes of production
ties for farmers from surplus regions in der the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, and post-production (eNWR) institution-
various commodities. In vegetables, for Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), al credit. This can financially strengthen
example, the shortage of storage and 2020 and the release and execution of farmers (crop, livestock & fishery) and
distribution network on scale means operational guidelines for promotion of help negotiate distress sale.
hindrance to movement to distant mar- 10,000 FPOs. The model leasing act There is scope for FPOs to act as
kets. This forces farmers to be satisfied which was released by Niti Ayog in 2016 an intermediary/aggregator between
with local mandi price realisations in and the Agriculture Export Policy 2018 the smallholder farmers and the buyers.
most cases, making these commodities of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry Terms of the agreement may include the
susceptible to sharp falls and spikes in which focuses on commodity clusters for time of supply, quantity and quality of
prices. exports were highly progressive steps in the produce, grade, standards and price
The low realisations at farm gate or reforms for the agriculture sector. etc. The Act has safeguards for farmers,
in local markets as compared to what insurance compensation, the infrastruc-
consumers pay is a major cause for Implications for Farmers and ture and equipment used at the farm
agrarian distress. In the mandi-dominat- FPOs land etc. FAPAFSA will provide an enor-
ed system, smallholders have no alter- FPTCA gives direct access to buyers/ mous boost to growing of horticultural
native to market their produce.
Sankalp Se Siddhi:
Double Farmers’
Income by 2022
C
ooperatives have the po- plier for increasing farmers’ income.
tential to play a significant In order to double the farmers’
role in agriculture and al- income, the department aims to
lied sectors for enhanced align and channelize the state’s
welfare of farmers. The efforts. It plans to assess co-op-
co-operatives in Uttarakhand have erative interventions in diverse
been made Multi-Purpose Primary So- agri sectors viz. Co-operative
cieties. The state has a three-tier coop- banks, Multipurpose Primary Ag-
erative structure with state federations riculture Cooperative Societies
at the apex, district central coopera- (MPACS), Sheep & Goat, Dairy,
tives at the district level, and primary Fisheries, Agriculture, Horticul-
agriculture cooperative at the bottom of ture and allied sectors. The key
the hierarchy. stakeholders in the project are Depart-
The Central Sector Integrated ment of Cooperative Societies, Uttara-
Scheme on Agricultural Cooperation khand and NCDC.
(CSISAC) of National Cooperative
Development Corporation (NCDC) is Background to organised markets for farm p r o d -
being implemented in the state. With The rural economy in Uttarakhand, es- ucts. The supply chain logistics are ab-
this, the co-operatives structures and pecially in the hilly regions, is marked sent or not being utilised well. The farm-
the specialised co-operatives shall be by disaggregated farming, marginal ers resort to subsistence farming or sell
strengthened to act as the force multi- land holding patterns, and low access in local markets at extremely low prices.
Uttarakhand Co-operative Federation
aims to play the catalytic role of enabling
market access for the farm products of
Uttarakhand.
ICDP envisages the following ad-
vancements in agriculture and the allied
sectors through a strengthened co-oper-
ative movement:
1. Co-operative Collective Farming
(CCF): Co-operative Collective Farming to
enhance the scale of farming activities and
result in much higher returns for individual
farmers. The Yamuna Valley Initiative on
Opportunities and
Challenges for
Poultry
about the author
T
he size of India’s human and rising at a rate of 1.5 to 2 percent per annum
animal population is almost while eggs and broilers has been rising at a
the same. While the population rate of 8 to 10 percent per annum. The total
of India is around 137 crores Poultry in the country is 851.81 million in
Prof (Dr) P K Shukla is
based on Worldometer elabo- 2019, increased by 16.8 per cent. The total
Dean, Registrar, Dean Post
ration of the latest United Nations data, the Backyard Poultry in the country is 317.07
Graduate Studies, DUVASU,
livestock and poultry population is around million in 2019, increased by 45.8 per cent;
Mathura
138 crores (20th Livestock Census). the total Commercial Poultry in the country
Production of agricultural crops has been is 534.74 million in 2019, increased by 4.5
per cent over the previous Census. buried their chickens alive. The sector
10 lakh poultry farmers produce around provides direct benefit to more than 10
851.8 million birds annually. Poultry con- Few industries offer million maize and soya farmers. Poultry
tributes Rs 1.3 lakh crore to the national farming offers direct and indirect em-
GDP. The poultry market is predominant-
as much scope for ployment to over 50 million in poultry
ly fresh meat. Processed meat accounts rural entrepreneurship production, trading, feed manufacturing,
for just 5 to 10 percent, depending on
the geography. India is currently the
with relatively low agriculture crops, logistics, exports and
others.
fourth largest poultry producer in volume investment and short During this adverse period, the gov-
terms, though per capita consumption is gestation periods as ernment and the industry came together
still one of the lowest in the world. to discuss consumer awareness, and
The total broiler market size was es- poultry. The present improve consumption to gain consumer
timated at 4.7 million tons (carcass adversity can be viewed confidence. The poultry industry recov-
weight), translating into volume growth
of approximately 2% during 2019. At per
as an opportunity to ered a little following the clarification is-
sued by the Government, the media and
capita meat consumption of 3.4 kg per create new and expand poultry professionals that eating chicken
annum, total broiler meat market size
was over Rs. 85,000 crore in terms of
existing markets was safe. Still, issues relating to inter-
state movement of eggs and chicken
retail price. in various parts of the country hurt the
The domestic table egg production for sector. Currently, consumer fear linking
2019 was estimated at 109 billion eggs, present new challenges and opportuni- chicken with Covid is much lower. The
translating to per capita egg consump- ties in the poultry sector. The pandemic main challenge for the past weeks has
tion of 80 eggs per annum, market size is a wakeup call for India to be self reli- been logistics and keeping the shops
of over Rs. 45,000 crore. ant or Atma Nirbhar in all areas including open for the consumer. Presently, the
poultry. logistics issue has been addressed in at
The Crash Unfortunately, this promising sector least 60% of the country.
Covid impacted various sectors in India. has been facing many challenges since Few industries offer as much scope
Among the worst affected is the poultry 2011. The following are the major con- for rural entrepreneurship with relatively
sector, losing USD $ 1.5 million per day straints faced by the Poultry sector: low investment and short gestation pe-
due to lower prices. Rumours associated • Feed cost, riods as poultry. The present adversity
with the consumption of chicken, sharp • Genetic Improvement can therefore be viewed as an opportu-
decline in demand, realization and profit- • Bio-security Measures nity to create new and expand existing
ability put a dent in sales and placed the • Avian Influenza (AI) markets. It may therefore not come as
poultry industry in a pickle. The present • Anti Microbial Residue (AMR) a surprise that GOI recently announced
projected loss of the poultry industry is The Covid lockdown impacted the USD 2.1 billion infrastructure fund to
around Rs. 22,000 crore. domestic poultry industry severely. It provide interest subvention of up to 3
Over the past few months, millions of was perhaps the worst hit in recent per cent to private players for setting up
small poultry farmers across the country times. The industry incurred large net dairy, poultry and meat processing units.
were left reeling after sales crashed 80% losses due to sharp decline in demand, This fund will be used to increase pro-
over false claims that chickens are carri- realization and profitability. The spread duction, boost exports and create jobs.
ers of coronavirus. of misinformation on social media heav- This leads to the following opportunities
ily impacted consumption. The govern- for investments in the poultry sector:
The Way Forward ment countered the misinformation, but
So what is the way forward? India’s me- the losses between January and March * Cold chains and Refrigerated Transport
dian age is 28. India’s population be- 2020 amounted to USD 236 million. The * Skilling and Training
came the world’s youngest during 2020. sale of poultry meat went down a stag- * Supply of feed additives and pre-mixes
More than two thirds of the population is gering 80 percent, and prices for poultry (perhaps even insect feed, as suggested
eligible to work. Effective skill develop- meat were halved. Over a million small in Omnivore Vision 2030)
ment programs for rearing poultry and poultry farmers and over half a million * Supply Processing Machinery
producing diverse value-added products persons working in the sector became * New technologies for maintaining the
by small vendors to cater to the local unemployed. This also impacted feed farms using AI and IOT
needs will effectively aid the PM’s call producers, because poultry farmers * Traceability using Block Chain technol-
for Local to Global. The New Normal will cancelled orders. Some farmers even ogy
2021: Expect
Happy Tidings
T
he lockdown caused by Cov- Indian economy. It is estimated to grow at gan in October, said a report by ICRA.
id left the farm sector with a rate of 3 pc for 2020-21. Record sowing It looks like there will be record procure-
low sentiment, shortage of during the Kharif season is likely to boost ment this year.
labour and farm equipment farm income, and eventually support the
and demand fragmentation. agricultural economy amidst the pan- Good monsoons to improve harvest
The road ahead was full of challenges demic. Early indications show a healthy in 2021
and blurred, with supply chains taking a start to the procurement season that be- Rainfall in India is capricious and causes
massive hit as people started hoarding
food grain, cereals and staples. about the author
According to the November data re-
leased by the National Statistical Office, Mr Raju Kapoor is Director, Industry & Public Affairs,
agriculture appeared to be one of the few FMC India. He has diverse experience in sectors like
bright spots for the second straight quar- Crop Protection, Fertilizers, PGRs, Seeds, Animal Nutri-
ter. Amid a grim GDP performance, agri- tion and Health products. Mr Kapoor has built, grown
culture clocked a growth of 3.4 percent and turned around various businesses over his career.
at constant prices in the July- September He has been actively involved in the areas of Public Pol-
icy, communication, marketing, supply chain manage-
quarter. According to NITI Aayog, agri-
ment and general business management
culture could be the silver lining for the
FARMERS
ENGULFED IN VICIOUS
CIRCLE OF DOUBTS
O
n June 5, the Centre intro- the government is talking about improving
duced three ordinances in agriculture through these laws.
the name of agrarian reforms. The demand and advocacy of new ag-
Act. Since then, these laws are being The Bihar experiment was a
questioned. For almost a month, farmers failure
are on the streets and protesting. The mandi system will be A similar system was introduced in Bihar
Farmer organizations not almost destroyed by this law. in 2006. It was expected to bring about
revolutionary changes. Even after 14
consulted This will harm the farmers, years, the farmers of Bihar are wandering
The government has its own arguments to sell wheat or paddy. After the removal
in favour of these laws. The farmers con- while the middlemen and of the Essential Commodities Act 1955,
sider them “anti-farmer”. The most sur-
prising thing is that for introducing these
the corporates shall benefit. traders will be able to hoard these crops
and control inflation. In a way, this gives
laws for agricultural reform, the govern- They will buy from farmers the control of the economy in the hands of
ment did not consult any farmer organi- the capitalists. There are more than 80%
zation. It consulted business organiza- outside the market at a small and medium farmers in India hold-
tions only. In such a situation, it can be
easily guessed whether this law will be
quarter of the price. MSP ing 2 to 4 acres of land. These laws will
hurt them. The big capitalists will buy land
corporate-friendly or farmer-friendly. shall hold no value. What will from the contract farming and will get the
There are some fundamental questions contract farming done from the farmers,
about these laws – such as end of MSP, happen to the subsistence by which they will take the land from the
end of government mandis. There is also
the fear of going into the hands of indus-
of millions of people working farmers at one and a half price.
In case of disputes, farmers shall not
trialists of agriculture and their interfer- in the market? There is no get justice from the court, while the cor-
ence in agriculture. porate have an army of lawyers. Regard-
In view of the protest, Prime Minister mention of this ing contract farming, it is being feared
Narendra Modi has said that the price of that thousands of companies will come
the commodity in the open market will be to market in the coming years to sell fer-
market-controlled and the cash crops will Even if we accept these populist ar- tilizers and seeds to farmers in the name
benefit more in the market. The farmer guments of the government, many ques- of contract farming, and at the time of
has the option to sell his crop anywhere. tions make us farmers apprehensive and purchasing the crop. They will cheat the
The government is talking about one afraid. The mandi system will be almost farmers. The government will have to set
nation, one market. It has said that it shall destroyed by this law. This will harm the up a regulator to regulate contract farm-
continue to purchase paddy and wheat farmers, while the middlemen and the ing so that the interests of farmers can
from farmers as before, and the MSP corporates shall benefit. They will buy be protected.
system will continue. Farmers are appre- from farmers outside the market at a The matter of doubling farmers’ in-
hensive that this is a conspiracy to end quarter of the price. MSP shall hold no come by 2022 seems meaningless. Now
the MSP system. If the government’s in- value. What will happen to the subsist- the farmers do not expect anything good
tention is clear, then MSP should be part ence of millions of people working in the from the government. They are full of ap-
of the law. market? There is no mention of this. prehensions.
I
2021 holds immense promise for the agriculture
ndian farmers need to increase their income. Hence they must sector. Even before the onset of 2021, we could
adopt allied agriculture activities and modern farming techniques. see signs of positive changes This year, we shall
Backyard poultry farming is a highly promising option for crop see the constructive results of those reforms.
farmers to increase their income. It is a highly potent tool for the It is unfortunate that 2020 had a highly
upliftment of farmers. destabilizing impact on the global economy.
Poultry requires low initial investment. Sales are easy, and the Covid also had a negative impact on India’s rural
return on investment does not take long. In this way, poultry boosts economy.
family income. It enables better utilization of family labour. Looking It is sad that farmers have been used as a
after poultry is simple and easy, and can be handled by most family weapon by forces that want to destabilize India.
members. These forces made the farmers dance to their
Backyard Poultry production can cater the nutritional require- tunes. They were successful in projecting India in
ments of the family. Poultry also serves as the family’s ATM. This is a wrong light before the world. The involvement of
because as per family needs, the birds can be sold at any time and the farmers in this sinister conspiracy is a blot on
one can have cash in hand. the agriculture sector. It will take time for this blot
The quality of chicken and eggs is better in backyard poultry. This to wash off.
is because farmers can practice organic poultry farming this way. PM Modi’s announcement to double farmers’
Birds are raised in a zero-stress environment. Consumers are willing
income by 2022 is a highly significant milestone
to pay higher prices for better quality desi chicken meat or egg.
for the nation. The reforms announced by PM Modi
The birds’ manure can be used as organic fertilizer. In order to
cut through bureaucratic red-tapism and the status
promote backyard poultry, the government provides farmers with vac-
quo in policy making.
cinated chicks free or for a minimal amount.
The farmer has been awaiting self-reliance
For backyard poultry, the farmer does not need to make any spe-
and prosperity for 72 years.
cial shed for the birds. These birds can be
If measures are not taken to improve the lot of
raised in the shed provided for other domes-
the farmers, then the coming times shall be very
tic animals.
difficult for them. Farmers suffered due to Covid
specific shed for these birds they can be
lockdown. Now they have been ensnared by
reared in the shed which are made for
negative forces.
their own animals ,so no investment is
required in housing and feeding sys- We know that nothing is cent percent
tems for these birds. right or wrong. The Advisors of PM Modi
In backyard poultry farming, led him to make laws in the favour of agri-
chances for loss are very low. By businessmen who exploit farmers. The
adopting desi techniques, we can farmers were instigated against these laws. The
increase the number of birds by conspiracy of this protest has been given the
natural hatching. name of farmers’ agitation.
69
January 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY AGRICULTURE TODAY 69
January 2021
ATG Letters
70
January 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY AGRICULTURE TODAY 70
January 2021
“We sold a reasonable chunk of our expected crop by
purchasing Put options. We can now concentrate on
crop care activities for better yields. Put Option is really
a game-changing tool for farmers."
-- Devraj Faujdar,
CEO, Deeg Wheat and Mustard Producer Company Limited,
Deeg (Bharatpur), Rajasthan
”
on crop care activities to ensure better yields. Put Option is really a
game-changing tool for farmers.
Put Option is a derivative contract, which gives the buyer the right to sell the
underlying but not the obligation to exercise it. If he is in a positive pay-in
position at expiry, after factoring the cost of premium, he may choose not to
exercise the contract. On the other hand, the seller or writer of the contract has
the obligation to take delivery at a pre-fixed price, if the buyer exercises it.
NCDEX IPFT Disclaimer: All transactions are subject to market risk. To participate in commodity market, contact any SEBI registered broker of the Exchange. Read the Risk Disclosure Document
January 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY 71
(RDD) carefully before transacting in Commodity Futures and Options. This publication has been made through the NCDEX Investor (Client) Protection Fund Trust for educational and awareness
purposes so that the general public is made aware of new hedging tools and general information. Neither NCDEX nor the NCDEX IPF Trust or their affiliates, associates, representatives, directors,
mployees or agents shall be responsible in any manner to any person or entity for any decisions or actions taken on the basis of this publication. No part of this publication may be redistributed
or reproduced without written permission from NCDEX.