Bikash
Choudhury
We have all heard the oft repeated quote ‘marriages are made
in the heaven while Mullahs make money’ one more identical quote could be
proffered now ‘Traders make a killing while Farmers give up their lives’. To be
precise 1.2 million farmers gave up their lives in last one decade on account
of repeated farm failure and growing loan burden on their shoulder. If we look
back into the pages of history; India
was rich and famous with its Agri, Agro and Forestry while it had gone places
in Art, Architecture, Literature and culture. All our World Class monuments
like Konark to Taj Mahal, Khajurao to Red Fort and Globally acclaimed
Educational portal—Nalanda was created from the income of an agrarian economy
for say 1500 years. If it is so then why our farmers have to kill themselves
brutally for not being able to support themselves and their family from the
income generated out of Agriculture? Since, the first generation of reforms of
1991; our politicians, economist and arm chair intellectuals in the living room
constantly argue about a need for an appropriate Growth Model; however, we have
not come to a conclusion yet. And, many commentators are looking at
Infrastructure led model of USA ,
Technology Innovation Model of Japan and Manufacturing sponsored Growth Model
of China & South Korea. Keeping in view of the fast changing climatic
condition in the planet and growing human population, India
should and must adopt the “Agrarian Growth Model” for faster & sustainable
development of the country. Further, incase of India
over 70 % population live in rural areas and since, all most all farm lands are
located in rural areas; Agrarian Growth Model would be able to touch and
influence the lives of maximum people in the country. With improved and growing
farm income in rural areas there would be demand for good quality education and
healthcare which can be provided by private sector at a price and with profit
which would improve the investment climate in rural areas which would open the
flood gate for innovation and entrepreneurship in the areas of post harvest
care of farm produce, its storage, processing and market linkages while
creating employment opportunity through creation of adequate numbers of
non-farm jobs cementing an eco-system that could attract investments from
cities and towns in to allied farming activities which in itself give impetus
to growth across the economy. Having argued enough in favor of ‘Agrarian
Growth Model’, can we leave behind other two important drivers of our
economy- manufacturing and infrastructure, never. GoI and a few State
governments have already taken series of initiatives in these two sectors like
‘Make in India & Digital India’ for manufacturing and concerted efforts for
expansion & speed in Road and Rail sector that would soon capture the
attention of domestic private sector and foreign investors. However, the
Government initiatives in Farm Sectors are constrained by easy credit, farm
subsidy, and support price mechanism until recently; Prime Minister has now
announced an extensive “Farm Insurance” scheme that would certainly come to the
rescue of our farming community; however, those could not take the place of a
growing need for a Structural Change in our Agrarian Economy that deals with
entire gamut of issue pertaining to our current approach to farming, its
processing and distribution. Farmer suicides are just the symptom of
non-remunerative farming in the country; the principal disease is much more
catastrophic and dangerous--- that is falling Nutrient Content in our Farm
Lands with indiscriminate use of synthetic fertilizer and pesticides which
again creating a very high cost Agri-Economy that has turned toxic with
increasingly unpredictable Climate Change Phenomena and paucity of Irrigation
Infrastructure. We now have to examine seriously and junk the current model
agriculture and return to our Natural Method of Agriculture which is low cost
and sustainable; apart from that it would produce Healthy Food Products without
contamination of toxic fertilizer or pesticides. It is also expected to attract
optimum valuation for mass produced organic food products with growing Global
Health Awareness. It is quite easier said than done. But, if we consciously
choose the “Agrarian Model of Growth” for our country; then, we could walk an
extra mile to make it happen. GoI and respective State Governments have to make
a concerted effort on Agriculture Extension program to create awareness among
our farming community on Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) that uses locally
available farm inputs from seeds, manure and pest control materials which are
effective and low cost. It is important now to concede that it is next to
impossible for the Government to provide 100% Irrigation Infrastructure for our
farms; however, it is possible to conserve maximum possible rain water through
a ‘popular public movement for rain water harvesting’; with improvement
in water table the productivity of our Agriculture sector would grow
substantively with minimum cost. Government could also encourage Co-operatives
large scale farming and corporate farming through suitable incentives;
Government also needs to attract private investments in Food Storage and Food
Processing Industry that should kill the Farm Wastages from food to plate. GoI
has announced a Village Cluster Policy for rural areas which need to be
extended to private sector with fiscal incentive or suitable prescription in
the CSR policy of the Government. Private sector investments in the Farm Sector
of our country would multiply the top line and bottom line of corporate sector
and trade. This would be a very challenging exercise for the Union Government
as Agriculture remains a State subject which would require a proactive
collaboration between State & Central Govt. apart from co-operation of all
Political Parties inside and outside parliament.
E-mail:streben.market@gmail.com,
Mobile : 9853426657 Address: Plot # 3309
Adarsha Vihar Lane -2 Patia, Bhubaneswar
Odisha, INDIA-751024
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