Indian Agriculture

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has launched a three-year pilot project in six districts of Tamil Nadu to make agriculture more viable by reducing inputs and labour costs while increasing productivity.

Implemented in collaboration with the State Government, non-governmental organisations and the local community, the project would focus on major crops of the districts, according to R. Narayan, NABARD Chief General Manager, Tamil Nadu Region.

Enhancing productivity per acre

In an interview to The Hindu here on Tuesday, he said that the project has begun at Villupuram, Krishnagiri, Coimbatore, Ramanathapuram, Thanjavur and would commence soon at Sivaganga.

The best farmers in the locality would be identified and measures to enhance the productivity per acre of land would be introduced.

These levels would be the benchmark for other farmers in the region, he said.

Eliminating middlemen

The project aims to reduce inputs costs by replacing the chemical fertilizers and pesticides, the indiscriminate use of which reduces soil fertility, with organic farming.

Another initiative was to ensure farmers have better price realisation for their produce by eliminating the middlemen.

Structures that provide a direct interface for farmers with consumers for select crops would be established in these six districts, he said.

“If this succeeds, we can show to the Government that this project, run by the communities, can address food security issues faced by the country and do away with the myth that agriculture is unviable,” said Mr. Narayan.

Reducing migration

This pilot project also aims at reducing farmers’ migration to the cities.

He expressed hope that some incremental benefits would accrue from the project as early as the end of first year itself.

Source- The Hindu

LUDHIANA: “Those involved in agricultural research, agriculture teaching and transfer of technology are doing noble work,” said Dr CD Mayee, chairman, Agricultural Service Recruitment Board ( ASRB), New Delhi.

He said this while delivering a talk on “Employment avenues in agricultural research services” to the students and faculty of Punjab Agricultural University on Friday.

The programme organized by alumni association of College of Agriculture, was chaired by PAU vice-chancellor Manjit Singh Kang while deans, directors and other officers of the university also participated.

Mayee elaborated the National Agricultural Research System ( NARS) that involves 6,200 scientists in the federal system of 78 All- India Coordinated Research Projects, 56 state agricultural universities (SAU) including three horticultural and veterinary varsities of India. The 56 SAUs offer degrees in 90 subjects, Mayee said, adding that the Indian system has agricultural education linked to agricultural research and extension education.

He disclosed that there are 30,000 teachers working in SAUs in addition to about 6,000 in ICAR system, who are actively involved in teaching, research and extension activities and contributing to the development of agriculture.

Mayee said the private sector achievements substantiated growth in agricultural research as seed companies also employ scientists thus adding to the battery of farm scientists in the country. To have the optimum output, investment in agriculture sector should increase, he observed emphasizing that another green revolution can not come without the strength of human resource.

Mayee highlighted the agricultural crisis that the country is currently facing in terms of the impact of climate change, reduced factor productivity, environmental degradation and depleting water and other natural resources. These issues need to be made a part of curriculum as also of research agenda of SAUs, he observed.

Speaking on the occasion, Kang said teaching is the noblest profession. “If you want power, teach” he said. He asked the students to compete for ARS positions. Agricultural teachers and scientists face a range of constraints that demand dedicated contributions.

He said the burgeoning population of India requires enhancement of foodgrain production, which he said was oscillating around 230 million tonne during the last decade. “The foodgrain requirement after four decades will be more than 400 million tonne,” he said, adding that this could be achieved either by expanding area for production or increasing productivity per unit area and input used.

Read more: ‘Agriculture research is noble work’ – Ludhiana – City – The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ludhiana/Agriculture-research-is-noble-work/articleshow/6447161.cms#ixzz0xy70Uc1h

Source – timesofindia.com.com

Tamil Nadu is preparing a suitable agricultural strategy based on the application of biotechnology and information technology to meet the challenges posed by climate change, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi said on Saturday. “Tamil Nadu will have to be prepared to face challenges like higher average
mean temperature, adverse change in rainfall and a rise in sea level, as a result of global climate change. We are therefore preparing a suitable agricultural strategy based on the application of biotechnology and information technology,” he said inaugurating a conference here.

The three-day conference ‘Eliminating Hunger and Poverty, Priorities in Global Agricultural Research and Development Agenda in an Era of Climate Change and Rising Food Prices’ is organised by the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation.

Citing the government’s initiatives like rain water harvesting and desilting of tanks for sustainable water security, Karunanidhi said the state is trying to revive the earlier practices of community care and management of tanks.

“We plant to launch a mission for tank fed agriculture in Ramanathapuram district,” he said.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minsiter K Rosiah, who was also present, said the three focus areas for increasing the stagnating agricultural productivity are investment in irrigation projects, development of suitable dry land crop varieties and increasing the farm yield.

“The central government should take up large irrigation projects are the state governments do not have sufficient resources. The universities and research institutions should develop crop varieties suitable for dry land cultivation,” he said.

Stressing the importance of developing location specific farming systems, Rosiah said the Andhra Pradesh has achieved 6.8 percent growth in agriculture between 2004-09 higher than the United Progressive Alliance government’s target of 4 percent.
Source – hindustantimes.com

Ernakulam: Self help is the best help. That’s the new mantra in Kerala. With food prices hitting the roof, God’s own country, Kerala, has decided to revive its agricultural sector and end its decade-long dependence on neighbouring states. So is this the beginning of a new green revolution in Kerala?

Determined to find a solution to check food inflation and rising prices that topple the household budget, women in Kerala are learning the latest farming techniques. Their aim, to cultivate in every bit of unused land and help the state gradually achieve self sufficiency in agricultural production.

Around two-third of the food grains, fruits and vegetables in Kerala, come from other states. With prices already on the rise in these states, Kerala is feeling the pinch. “Kerala is heavily dependent on neighbouring states. We are just trying for an across-the-board attempt at improving not only food production but also livestock production,” said Prabhat Patnaik, Vice Chairman, Kerala State Planning Board.

Around 10,000 hectares of unused land will be covered in Ernakulam district itself. The project will be extended to other areas of the state soon. The Kerala Agriculture University, will train rural women and also create awareness among school children about organic farming.

“We are training 300 women from rural areas in batches on modern, mechanised ways of farming,” said Asha Devi Varma, Principal Agricultural Officer, Ernkaulam District.

It may appear like a small step, but many believe, this is perhaps the beginning of a second green revolution in Kerala.

Source – Ndtv.com

olkata: Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar came together in Kolkata to initiate a green revolution in the eastern states of Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and eastern UP. Their initial budget is Rs 400 core and their model: China.

In China, one hectare of land yields 6.6 tonnes of rice while in India, it is 3.3. China has 30 million hectares under paddy cultivation whereas India has 45. China produces 200 million tonne of rice per year as compared to India’s 150.

“We should understand the Chinese experiment and whatever corrective measures are possible to take in our own country, we should try to implement,” said Sharad Pawar, Agriculture Minister.

The secret of China’s success: hybrid rice seeds on which it began work in the early ’60s. Bt rice is part of its seed basket. But in that India is still not ready to follow China.

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) will promote organic farming in Kerala.

According to K. C. Shashidhar, NABARD chief general manager here, the initiative will be implemented in association with banks and non-governmental organisations who will introduce over 10,000 farmers to organic farming in the first phase.

‘Organic farming practices need to be encouraged using local knowledge of farmers and also they need to be integrated with the tested practices of research scientists and academia. To accomplish this, we will associate with Kerala Agricultural University,’ said Shashidhar.

The project will be implemented in seven districts initially in association with the Kerala Social Services Forum, an umbrella organisation of NGOs.

As a prelude to its formal launch, NABARD will conduct a two-week training programme aimed at creating the right awareness about organic agricultural techniques, organic manures, production of bio-control agents such as organic pesticides and organic fungicides.

It will also inform the farmers about pesticide-free food production methods, post-harvest management means, food security through organic farming, seed conservation, said Shashidhar.

Source- bombaynews.net/

HYDERABAD: Organically grown cotton is more profitable for farmers than Bt cotton, a new Greenpeace report said on Tuesday.

In the year 2009-10, farmers cultivating cotton through organic practices earned 200 per cent more net income than farmers who grew genetically engineered cotton (Bt cotton),” the report said.

The report “Picking Cotton – The choice between organic and genetically-engineered cotton for farmers in South India” is a comparative analysis of the two methods of agriculture among cotton farmers in Andhra Pradesh.

The genetically engineered (GE) variety makes farmers more vulnerable to financial collapse due to high debts and increased costs of cultivation, it said.

“Our study illustrates how farmers growing GE cotton face high debts and high costs of cultivation, becoming more vulnerable to financial collapses,” Greenpeace International scientist and study author Reyes Tirado said.

Bt cotton farmers not only use 26 different pesticides, including pesticides targeting pests that the GE cotton is supposed to control, but also lose financially due to their higher input costs, the report said.

In Andhra Pradesh, the cost of cultivation is much higher for Bt cotton farmers.

“The Bt cotton farmers incurred 65 per cent higher debt – accumulated during 2008-09 and 2009-10 – than the non-Bt organic cotton farmers,” the report said.

The farmer-distress in the state had led to the central government announcing a Rs.20,000 crore five-year relief package for farmers in 2008.

“It is preposterous that, on the one hand, government dolls out thousands of crores in the name of bringing relief to farmers while, on the other hand, they permit and promote Bt cotton cultivation and ensure that the farmer can never escape the debt treadmill,” Centre for Sustainable Agriculture executive director G.V. Ramanjaneyalu, who was present at the report release, said.

The report not only shows the economic benefits of ecological (organic) farming but also reveals that GE cotton, despite using many toxic pesticides, still has greater crop loss to pests.

Greenpeace, which spearheaded the opposition to the introduction of Bt brinjal in India, demanded that the Indian government ban Bt cotton cultivation.

It also asked the government to take an active role in supplying sufficient quantities of quality non-Bt seeds and support organic cotton farming.

The controversies around Bt cotton have finally forced the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee, the agency responsible for the commercial release of GE crops in the country, to review its performance since 2002, the year it was released.

“Bt cotton has only benefitted the multinational seed giants like Monsanto which has earned Rs.1,580 crore as royalty from its patented Bt cotton seed since its release,” said Rajesh Krishnan, sustainable agriculture campaigner with Greenpeace India. 

Source _ Economictimes.com

But when it comes to taking a robust crop from minimum investment, this teenager is miles ahead of many agriculture experts. So much so that the Ghantadih boy donned the role of a farming expert on Tuesday while imparting knowledge about System of Root Intensification (SRI) method of paddy farming to around 50 senior agriculture extension officers of Bihar.

These agriculture department officers, in turn, would disseminate information about the SRI method of farming in their respective areas. Under the SRI method, farmers need to invest less in inputs compared to traditional method of paddy farming and the crop yield too goes up by two to three times.
Jayjeet apart, two semi-literate women of Gaya, Barsi Devi of Shekhwara village and Sunit Devi of Bhusia village, too imparted training to officers.

The troika of these three villagers was selected for this purpose on the basis of success achieved by them after they shifted to the SRI method of farming and their zeal to share the success mantra with others, said Bihar Agricultural Management & Extension Training Institute (BAMETI) director R K Sohane. BAMETI organised the training programme.

While Jayjeet has to his credit having trained over 150 farmers of his native and Darbhanga districts, Barsi and Sunita have been active motivating fellow villagers on the new method of farming.

Sharing the excitement of teaching experts, Jayjeet said: “Training farmers is a different thing, but the experience of imparting knowledge to agriculture expert was really very thrilling as we have been in the habit of learning from them.”

Barsi and Sunita echoed Jayjeet, the only difference being that both these women were a bit nervous before the commencement of the training session.

This, however, had little impact on their confidence level as the trainees appeared more than satisfied with what they learnt during the session.

“All the three shared the SRI method farming technique in a very simple way and their practical knowledge about the method made things more simple,” said Niraj Prasad, the Purnia district consultant for National Food Security Mission, and added that the farmers handled the question-answer session as well very smartly.