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After Ten Month Bhupinder Singh Hooda Submits Agriculture Production Report

Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Wednesday submitted the Working Group on Agriculture Production report to Indian Prime Minister in New Delhi.

It is to mention that Indian Prime Minster on April 8, 2010 constituted the Working Group on Agriculture Production under the chairmanship of the Haryana Chief Minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda and the Chief Ministers of Punjab, Bihar and West Bengal as members to recommend strategies and action plan for increasing agricultural production and productivity, including long-term policies to ensure sustained agricultural growth.

The Working Group on Agriculture Production was asked by Indian Government to submit its report in Two Months but Working Group on Agriculture Production report was submitted to Indian PM on December 15, 2010, i.e. after tem months.

The Working Group recommended that agricultural loans should be made available to farmers at not more than four per cent rate of interest and the Minimum Support Price (MSP) be fixed at 50 per cent higher than the cost of cultivation.

It has also recommended higher investment in the power sector to ensure easy availability of energy to the farmers. Working group has also emphasized on more investment in agricultural research to develop suitable high yielding varieties.

The report of the working group covers various aspects related to agriculture production and productivity.

The report suggests that the National Agriculture Insurance Scheme should be made farmer-friendly and village, not the block, made a unit. Norms of the Calamity Relief Fund (CRF) should be revisited and compensation for the loss of crops due to natural calamities like flood, drought and frost enhanced to at least Rs 25,000 per hectare. With a view to promoting mechanization of farming, the Working Group wants all types of tools, implements, machinery and equipment allowed to be freely imported without any import duty.

Policy interventions on mission mode basis and adoption of region-specific technologies have been suggested to bridge the yield gap of various crops across the country. While below-national-average states should adopt improved practices to scale up to the national average, those having above national average, should aim at reaching the highest yield in the country. “This twin approach alone can give an estimated additional 81.37 million tonnes of food grains and 5.35 million tonnes of oilseeds”, the report says.

Some of the other recommendations include steps to promote direct sale of farm produce to agri-processors and consumers, strengthening Public Private Partnership (PPP) in agriculture marketing, land reforms revolving around distribution of surplus land, consolidation of land holdings and reclamation of waste land by treating saline, alkaline and acidic soils to increase area under cultivation.

The Working Group  has favoured setting up of soil testing laboratories, promotion of water saving devices like sprinkler irrigation and drip irrigation and bringing at least one district in each state under micro irrigation on a pilot basis.

Bridging Yield Gaps

The Working Group has recommended that the yield gap of various crops across the country should be narrowed down by adopting region-specific technological and policy interventions on mission mode basis. Special focus should be laid on states having productivity below national average like West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Eastern UP and Chhattisgarh. They should reach the national average by adopting improved practices through technological interventions. States having crop productivity above national average should aim at reaching the highest yield in the country. This twin approach can give an estimated additional 81.37 million tonnes of food grains, and 5.35 million tonnes of oilseeds.

Crop-specific strategies

On rice, the Working Group has suggested promotion of "Boro Rice" in the eastern part of India, mechanization of rice cultivation; adoption of hybrid rice cultivation, balanced use of fertilizers, promotion of improved agronomic and integrated pest and weed management practices, and seed replacement rate brought to the level of 30-35 per cent for varieties and 100 per cent for hybrids.

On wheat, it has emphasized timely sowing of wheat and adoption of suitable varieties recommended for different agro-climatic conditions, application of resource conservation technologies like use of laser land leveling, zero till sowing, improved seed replacement rate, promotion of durum wheat cultivation in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra and emphasis on the development of terminal heat tolerant and hybrid wheat varieties.

Regarding maize, it has advocated promotion of cultivation of single cross and Quality Protein Maize (HQPM) hybrids for increasing area under hybrids from 40 to 80 per cent in the next 4-5 years to double the maize production. Public-private partnership should be encouraged for the development of single cross hybrids and dissemination of technologies.

Thrust should be laid on increasing the area under winter maize in eastern UP, Assam, Bihar and Jharkhand.

It has suggested collaboration with industries for marketing and ensuring farmers remunerative prices. With a view to promoting the production of bajra, it has favoured appropriate agronomic practices such as optimum seed rate, timely sowing, optimum plant population, Integrated Nutrient Management (INM), integrated pest and weed management and large-scale adoption of high yielding early maturing bajra hybrids. Emphasis should be laid on 100 per cent seed replacement. For jowar, it has suggested promotion of best agronomic practices  and cultivation of suitable varieties/hybrids.

Increasing pulses and oilseeds production

The strategies outlined by the Working Group include development of hybrid varieties of pulses and oilseeds for northern and western region, promotion of improved short duration disease-resistant varieties of pulses and oilseeds through large-scale field demonstrations to overcome existing yield gaps (25-30 per cent). Short duration varieties should be promoted in new areas such as chickpea in south, urdbean in coastal Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal, pigeonpea in north-west (Haryana, Gujarat and Rajasthan), and mungbean in north (Western UP, Haryana and Punjab) etc.  At least 50 per cent area under rice-wheat system should be covered with mungbean in between the two crops as cash crop. A striking 20 to 30 per cent increase in pulses and oilseeds yield has been obtained
with the application of sulphur and zinc. Besides, it has favoured development of high yielding, disease-resistant and cold and frost-tolerant varieties of rapeseed and mustard for different agro-climatic conditions.

Strengthen input delivery mechanism

The group has laid emphasis on strengthening the input delivery mechanism. The states should accord highest priority to enhancing production of certified seed and ensuring adequate supply of quality seeds at reasonable prices. Seed production programme should be organised in a systematic manner to achieve the desired level of see replacement rate. Production of hybrid seeds should be promoted aggressively to improve crop productivity and special attention should be paid to upgradation of the quality of farm saved seed through government interventions, including seed treatment. The group has favoured setting up of National Mission on Seed and restructuring and streamlining of the public sector seed producing undertakings at the Centre and in the states, to make them vibrant organizations.

Nutrients

On nutrients, it has favoured setting up of soil testing laboratories (including mobile soil testing labs) to promote soil testing, including testing for secondary and micro nutrients. Soil health cards should be issued to all farmers in a time-bound manner and concrete steps should be taken to promote use of biofertilizers and locally available farm yard manure, vermi-compost and green manure. At least ten per cent area should be brought under bio-fertilizer application; and micronutrients and biofertilizers should be made available on subsidized rates through cooperatives. Imported liquid fertilizers should not only be freed from import duties but also made eligible for subsidies. Efforts should be made to produce liquid nitrogen in India, rather than importing liquid fertilizers.

Water

The Working Group has said that water saving devices like sprinkler irrigation and drip irrigation should be promoted in a big way to economise on the use of this precious resource. Use of underground pipelines should be promoted to avoid delivery losses and at least one district in each state should be covered comprehensively under micro irrigation on pilot basis. Land leveling with lazer land leveller and zero tillage technology should be promoted to save irrigation water and to improve input use efficiency.

Credit for farmers

On the crucial issue of making credit available to farmers, the Working Group has said that agricultural loans should be made available to the farmers at not more than four per cent rate of interest per annum. Steps should be taken to extend fresh credit to all eligible farmers who benefited from  the Agricultural Debt Waiver and Debt Relief Scheme. A campaign should be launched for providing Kisan Credit Cards to all willing and eligible farmers. Eligibility conditions/criteria for agricultural loans to small and marginal farmers should be simplified and liberalized and the repayment schedule made farmer-friendly.

Farm mechanization

Farm mechanization should be given top priority for increasing crop productivity and addressing the labour problem. This will help save energy, cut down crop production costs facilitate timely planting, reduce post-harvest losses and boost farm income. It is also necessary for the promotion of resource conserving technologies like zero tillage, raised bed planting, precision farming, drip or sprinkler irrigation etc. Local manufacturers meeting location-specific needs of machinery should be promoted by states. The subsidy on machinery which is not good for soil health, should be stopped, and diverted to more useful alternatives. All types of tools, implements, machinery and equipments should be allowed to be freely imported without any import duty. The Technology Mission on Farm Mechanization should be started on a priority basis to ensure resilience in agriculture through precision farming and to reduce dependence on labour.

Energy

More investment is required to ensure availability, efficiency and reach of electric power to the farmers. Power tariff should be rationalized and made available in unserved areas through grid expansion, especially in eastern India.

There should be a ceiling on power tariff for supply to the agricultural sector by surplus states. Gearing up extension system measures should be taken to make extension reach small and marginal farmers, women and less advantaged groups.

Research-extension-farmers-market linkages should be integrated and agri-clinics, agri-business centres and Kisan Call Centres should be set up. It has favoured dedicated community radio and TV channels for agriculture and evolution of the private-public-people participation in extension with a strong linkage with market.

Marketing reforms

The Working Group has said that direct sale to agri-processors and consumers should be encouraged, PPP in agriculture marketing should be strengthened, MSP regime should be expanded to all crops, including vegetable and fruits; and procurement of pulses and oilseeds ensured to mitigate farmers’ market risk. Market intelligence should be strengthened so that farmers can plan to sell their produce at appropriate time and market.

Land and labour related issues

The group has favoured implementation of land reforms, especially distribution of surplus land and consolidation of land holdings. Land laws should be amended to prevent sub-division and fragmentation of holdings and registration of land lease deeds should be ensured for protecting the interest of tillers. Land records should be computersied for bringing about greater transparency and reliability.

Sustainable agricultural growth

For ensuring sustainable agricultural growth, the group has recommended reclamation of waste land by treating saline, alkaline and acidic soils for increasing area under cultivation. Appropriate programmes and policies should be developed to bring all foothill areas under perennial cover of horticulture, forestry and perennial grasses. The National Agriculture Insurance Scheme (NAIS) should cover all crops and recycling of wheat and rice crop residues should be encouraged.

General matters

All the districts of important wheat producing states should be covered under the National Food Security Mission (NFSM) on wheat to tap their optimum potential. Crops such as maize and coarse cereals should be included in NFSM. The improvement of all our native breeds of cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat, horses, camel and poultry birds needs to be emphasized by assigning specific responsibility and targets to all the state agricultural universities, ICAIZ institutes and state departments of animal husbandry. Private sector too should he involved and encouraged to undertake breeding as a business proposition.

Financial resources for this need to he provided both by the Central Government and state governments. Use of plastic in agriculture (plasticulture) should he promoted and requisite subsidy provision should be put in place. Besides, sericulture, bee keeping, aquaculture, mushroom cultivation, floriculture etc. should also be promoted to maximize the income of farmers.

The Minimum Support Price (MSP) should be at least 50 per cent higher than the cost of cultivation as suggested by Farmers' Commission headed by Dr.M. S. Swaminathan. The CACP methodology of calculating the cost of cultivation needs to be revisited to make it more realistic.

Mechanism should be developed for convergence of various schemes/programmes on agriculture development being run by different departments and ministries at the Centre and State. Massive effort for building modern silos to arrest post-harvest losses of foodgrains is needed at the national level.

There is also urgent need for a long-term policy on buffer stocking of foodgrains so as to build commensurate storage capacity in different parts of the country.

A comprehensive policy should be evolved for insurance coverage of all important food crops and livestock needs to be put in place on a priority basis for which additional funding support should be provided by the Centre. The National Agriculture Insurance Scheme should be made farmer friendly and village should be made a unit instead of the
block.

The norms of the Calamity Relief Fund (CRF) should be revised and the compensation for the loss of the crop due to natural calamities like flood, drought, frost should be enhanced to at least Rs 25,000 per hectare. States should also be allowed to use at least 10 per cent CRF fluids for the prevention of flood and drought to minimize the impact of natural calamities.

Rain-fed farming

The farmers in rainfed areas with larger land holdings should be incentivised by way of providing 50 per cent labour charges through MGNREGS. A suitable scheme may be drawn up for this purpose.

Women farmers play a significant role in rain-fed farming. So such programmes as Mahilla Kissan Sashaktikaran Pariyojna, should be encouraged so that women farmers have access to land, credit, technology and market. On the pattern of  ASHA workers under the National Rural Health Mission, an army of trained "Kissan Bandhus" should be enrolled and attached to the Krishi Vigyan Kendras across the country who could help the farmers through extension activities.

A National Mission for Development of Rainfed Agriculture should be established with defined outcomes and convergence with line ministries/ departments and state governments. It should aim at a holistic development of the rainfed areas, fill the identified gaps and achieve sustainable food nutrition and farm income security in the rainfed areas.