2020 – laden with hopes and aspirationsw

AGRICULTURE TODAYJanuary 2020 3

From the Editor’s Desk

2020 – Laden with Hopes and Aspirations

With a new government placed in the center, the year 2019 was ripe with expectations and hope of a new beginning, more so in agriculture. However, the problems that rattled the agri sector intensified and year

2020 is now entrusted with the responsibility to breath in a new start.

On the food production front, as usual India has put up a formidable record. But what stood out is the decent increment in numbers in terms of oilseeds and pulses production. Given the fact that we are heavily dependent on imported pulses and oilseeds to meet our requirement, this is quite an achievement. In terms of excesses, our budget too made a greater cut for the agri sector. The Union Budget 2019-20 made a historic allocation for the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. An amount of Rs 1,30,485 crore —the highest-ever has been allocated for the sector. Agriculture, which formed 3.5% of the budget in FY19, comprised 5.4% of budgeted expenditure in FY20, an increase of 1.9 percentage points (the biggest rise). This leap is mostly due to the staggering Rs 75,000 crore allocated to the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan).

PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana (PMKSNY), a straight income transfer to farmers debuted in 2019. The scheme proposes a benefit of Rs. 6,000 per year, payable in three instalments of Rs. 2,000 each to all the eligible farmers having a land holding of up to 2 hectares. The government of India has made a provision of Rs. 75,000 crore for this scheme, under which about 12 crore farmers of the country will be covered. Zero Budget Farming was also an important take away from this year’s budget, as it opened doors for debate and discussions across the country.

The reorganization of Indian Landscape, post scraping of the special status of J&K was an important happening in 2019 which spawned a volley of opportunities for Indian agriculture and also J&K agriculture. The Centre procured apples cultivated in Jammu & Kashmir directly from farmers by the Government-run National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED).The move was in response to the reports of threats from terrorists who had threatened apple growers not to sell their produce in the market following abrogation of the special status given to J&K under Article 370 and bifurcation of the State into two Union Territories.

This year onion prices once again attracted national attention as it travelled upwards sending jitters across the politicians, authorities and consumers. Last year also saw Pepsico taking on farmers for illegally growing and selling a variety of potato exclusively registered by the company. Eventually farmers won as the company dropped the case bowing to public pressure.

India made a momentous decision last year when the government opted out of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) after a long suspense amidst protests and concerns. The farmers across the nation who have been vehemently protesting the deal, finally succeeded in thwarting a death blow to an already sagging agriculture sector. Lessons learnt from previous trade deals and the current state of agriculture economy have nudged the farmers to voice their consternations.

The year ended with a sagging Indian economy and with a heap of apprehensions by the stakeholders in agriculture. This places a momentous responsibility on the new year 2020 and the budget which is going to be presented in February. The hopes and aspirations of the entire country now rests on 2020 and the changes that are about to be brought on the economic front and agriculture front. Anjana Nair

JANUARY 2020 | VOLUME XXIII | ISSUE 1

President Dr. MJ KhanEditor Anjana NairExecutive Editor Business Editor Rashmi SinghDeputy Editor Joyshree NathAssistant Editor Swasti MalikSub Editor Sanjay Kumar

REgionAl BuREAuSTirupati V Rajagopal Kerala KR SreeniJamshedpur Shireen TabassumGorakhpur Jitendra DwivediHimachal Pradesh Rakesh AhujaJammu & Kashmir MH ShahHyderabad Murli KrishnaBangalore HS Gangadhar Lucknow Alok VashishthPunjab SS VirdiBihar Gautam Kumar

Circulation incharge Rajkumar lAyout & DESigngraphic Designer A. Rehman

Publisher & Printer – Dr. MJ Khan on behalf of M/s Concept Agrotech Consultants Limited, Published from 306 Rohit house Tolstoy Road New Delhi-110001 and printed by Everest Press E-49/8, Okhla Industrial Area-II New Delhi-110020 Phone No. 011-23731129 Fax No.011- 23731130

E-mail: [email protected] [email protected]

Any issues?contact us at

the above addresses!

No part of this magazine can be reproduced, imitated or transmitted in any form, including electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or any information stage retrieval system or extracted in any way without permission from the publishers. Views expressed in the magazine need not necessarily be those of the Editor / Publisher.

www.agriculturetoday.in

Pages in the magazine: 60

Rajni Shaleen Chopra

AGRICULTURE TODAY January 20204

VOLUME XXIII | ISSUE 1 | janUary 2020

C o n t e n t sCover Feature

Editorial 03Editorial Comments 06News Corner 10

Cover Feature2019: Year of Ups and Downs 20

INteraCtIoNLivestock for Prosperity 30

MY oPINIoNStrenghtening farmer producer organizations in India 32

INtervIewShri Rameshwar Teli, MoS for Food Processing Industries 34

PoultrYGlobal Poultry Production 36

state sPeCIalHaryana has a prominent place in the livestock map of the country 39

aGrI eNtrePreNeursHIPRejoice rural India through Agri-tourism 42

suCCess storYNature’s Miracle: Raising Food, the Hydroponic Way 46

rePortMSSRF@30 Conference: A Report 49Vedic Agriculture 52

MY PaGeAttend to Sustainable Development and Farmers’ Welfare Agenda in the 2020s 54

Different Strokes 58

2019:Year of Ups & Downs

Mssrf@30 ConferenCe: a report

Report

20

49


Drying up the Onion TearsDehydrated onions can be an alternative to the expensive fresh onions

Editorial Comments

Onion prices have soared high and the Indian households have been living with this nightmare for months together. This is not the first time; the price of this very important and

staple agri commodity has increased. The price surges are quite common and regular, but are most unfortunate. The cyclical upswings in prices have caught the entire country off guard. Although the situation may cool off within a couple of months, the incident calls for a plan to address such situations that may arise in the future.

Production forecasts should have given the government direction and time to manage the crisis. But these numbers were not translated into constructive action plans. Export bans and Import permits arrived late. Suitable warehouses for the storage of fresh onions and their transport are yet to be built. But apart from these conventional ways, there are several alternatives that can be pursued to help the consumers tide over the difficult times.

Dehydrated onions are low-cost and easy to store, but not too popular in the retail markets. But they offer a promising alternative to the wholesome onions. They are not only affordable but can be stored for longer time seemingly occupying only a small space. One kilo of ‘dry’ onion, when re-hydrated for use, becomes the equivalent of 8-10 kg of fresh onion. However, they are unpopular in Indian markets and households. Their unpopularity stems from a variety of reasons ranging from habit to taste preferences to availability and accessibility in the retail market. There is also the issue of categorisation. It is difficult to market ‘dry’ onion because it is neither fresh vegetable nor processed food nor ready-to-eat. Palatability is also a deciding factor. But dehydrated onions are better option than no onions or expensive onions.

They are hugely popular in the overseas market.

In fact Mahuva,has emerged as the hub of onion dehydration units in Gujarat. Over 100 facilities handling nearly two-thirds of the country’s onion dehydration capacities, are currently functioning in Gujarat. The units operate in full swing in January-June, when most of the processing takes place and onions are dehydrated in the form of either flakes or powder.

Most of these products, are exported as there is huge demand in the overseas markets, particularly from the hospitality and restaurant industries. Gujarat alone produces about 70,000 tonnes of dehydrated onion annually, of which 50,000-55,000 tonnes are exported. The remaining quantity is consumed locally, mostly by the restaurant and hotel industries.

This is the right time to introduce the concept of dehydrated onions in the households. The government and the unit owners need to work in coordination and pool in their efforts to make this possible. Even for farmers this is an opportunity to increase their income. A year ago a severe crisis engulfed the onion farmers where the prices dropped and farmers dumped quintals of onions on street to vent out their anger and frustration for being offered a paltry sum of Rs.1.50 per Kilo.

The ups and downs in prices associated with perishable agricultural produce is not news anymore. They are considered part and parcel of the vocation that is agriculture. The climatic dependence and the weather aberrations dictate the price of commodities. Although we do not have a command or control over such factors, we can think of ways to tackle this cyclical excesses or shortages. Dehydrated onions enjoy the multiple advantages of stabilising onion prices, but also ensuring stability in the income earned by the farmers. Processing of fresh produce holds immense potential in the future. Their commissioning in close proximity to the centres of production can also help in developing rural entrepreneurship.


Cold Storage option to tackle price riseThere exists a palpable gap in the availability of cold chain infrastructure

Editorial Comments

Price swings, production surpluses, production deficits and post harvest losses are some of the factors that have been determining the price of perishable commodities in India. The post harvest

losses have remained an important source of food wastage. As per a study conducted by Central Institute of Post-harvest Engineering and Technology (CIPHET), the total harvest and post-harvest losses amounted to USD 14 Bn. The wastage levels in India vary across categories, with highest wastages in the F&V and Marine sector. India witnesses nearly 4.6-15.9% wastage in fruits and vegetables, 5.2% in inland fish, 10.5% in marine fish, 2.7% in meat and 6.7% in poultry meat.Lack of appropriate cold storage infrastructure has been cited as an important reason for this. Despite its knowledge and the advantages they offer, their adoption has never been on a satisfactory level.

India currently has a total cold storage capacity of 226.7 lakh tonnes (lt) as against the required capacity of 350 lt. According to a 2015 study carried out by the National Centre for Cold Chain Development (NCCD), an autonomous body under the Agriculture Ministry, India needs cold storage infrastructure of 350 lt to take care of the needs of farmers in the country.According to official statistics, there are about 7,645 cold storages in the country with 68 per cent of the capacity being used for potato, while 30 per cent is multi-commodity cold storage. And when there is a surplus of production of potato, the capacity is further constrained. Top potato producers of Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal make up 55-60 per cent of the overall domestic cold storage capacity.

Apart from potato, the multi commodity cold storages cater to meat & poultry, seafood, dairy products, fruits & vegetables and pharmaceuticals. About 65-70% of cold storage across the country is focussed on commodities marked for export and import purposes. The stringent quality requirements in the countries they are exported to necessitate

temperature-controlled storages and use of reefers across the value chain. So when the statistics of cold storage facility is laid down it hardly refers to the commodities earmarked for domestic retail sale. The rising agricultural production, especially horticultural crops, over the past several years has not only put added strain on the governments to keep the prices remunerative for farmers even during glut but also keep a balance over retail inflation.

Currently, 95% of the cold storages are owned by the private sector, 3% by cooperatives and the remaining 2% by the public sector undertakings. Since, bulk of the capacity is owned by the private sector, there is greater need for the central and state governments to rise up to the occasion to help farmers of perishable commodities. The government should also provide sops, such as capital subsidy for the upgradation and setting up of cold storages, which are currently facing financial difficulties. There are largely two different schemes to provide financial assistance to set up cold storage facilities in the country — one under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) of the Agriculture Ministry and another called Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) managed by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries.

The cold chain industry in India is still at a nascent stage and despite large production of perishable produce, the cold chain option still remains untapped due to high share of single commodity cold storage, high initial investment (for refrigerator units and land), lack of enabling infrastructure like power & roads, lack of awareness for handling perishable produce and lapse of service either by the storage provider or the transporter leading to poor quality produce.Also, erratic power supplies, unavailability of skilled manpower, inefficient handling of perishables & availability of technology & financing options impact the industry adversely.However, increasing urbanization and growth of organized retail, food servicing and food processing sector are boosting the growth of cold chain industry in India.


Editorial Comments

Indian palm oil industry have started adopting sustainability standards — the Indian Palm Oil Sustainability (IPOS) Framework — on a voluntary basis. Godrej Agrovet Ltd became the first company in

India to cover about 2,000 small holder palm oil suppliers under the IPOS certification by Control Union. The IPOS Framework has been jointly developed by the SEA, Solidaridad and the Indian Institute of Oil Palm Research.

Oil palms have evolved as the largest source of vegetable oil in the world. A high oil yielding crop than most other competing crops, oil palm has a lower cost of production, making it a favourite ingredient for food, feed and fuel or oleo-chemical products. In emerging economies such as India and China, consumption of palm oil is fast catching up necessitating a further expansion in areas under oil palm to cater to this demand. Considering the current as well as future demand this calls for cautiously addressing the socio- economic and environmental sustainability issues in the sector so that the Palm Oil production and trade can be achieved in sustainable manner.

The Indian Palm Oil Sustainability Framework (IPOS) is crafted by Solidaridad, renowned global sustainability organisation, in association with the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India, SEA and Society for Promotion of Oil Palm Research and Development under the Indian Institute of Oil Palm Research (IIOPR). IPOS is a sustainability palm oil framework based on Indian laws, practices and market realities but aligned with globally accepted sustainability principles. It is created by the Indian palm oil industry, for the Indian palm oil industry and owned by Indian palm oil stakeholders. IPOS would facilitate cost effective continuous improvement process verified by IT solutions rather than expensive international certification and implementation

would be supported by Solidaridad jointly with SEA.

This move becomes critical since India is the largest consumer of palm oil. Edible oils have become a big drain on foreign exchange with India being one of the biggest net importers with 60 per cent of total oil imports being palm oil. Oil palm is currently grown in about 3.49 lakh hectares in India, while the potential exists in about 1.93 million hectares as of October 2019. The current crude palm oil production is estimated at 2.8 lakh tonnes. Further expansion in India would guarantee better avenue for income generation and economic development. The crop has become an increasingly important driver of economic development, improved food security and poverty reduction in various countries. Framework and guidelines based on Indian conditions and ground realities are needed to address different aspects of sustainability in production and trade of palm oil. The IPOS framework has the potential to address key sustainability concerns and barriers, while fulfilling the commitment of Indian palm oil industry towards sustainability.

The IPOS programme would facilitate the Indian palm oil industry to be ready for facing future customer demands, safeguard the competitiveness, improve relationships and loyalty in the supply chain within and outside the country and position India as one of the global leaders in sustainable production and trade in palm oil. The IPOS standard was recently recognised by the Indonesian and Malaysian Palm Oil Board through an agreement with SEA and Solidaridad. The agreement recognises IPOS as India’s national sustainability framework for palm oil and considers it equivalent to Indonesian and Malaysian national sustainability standards for palm oil production and trade between the Asian countries.

Sustainably increasing Oil Palm Cultivation in IndiaIndian palm oil industry accepts IPOF framework


Meeting the Protein deficiencyNiti Ayog is considering including protein rich foods in the PDS

Editorial Comments

The new Agriculture Policy drafted by the Niti Ayog is mulling to introduce protein rich foods such as meats, poultry, fish and chicken in the Public Distribution system. With this move the

government is trying to address towards nutritional security along with food security. The government think tank is likely to include this plan in its 15-year Vision Document, which is expected to be in place by early 2020 and will be effective from April 1, 2020. According to the report, top officials at NITI Aayog are looking at broadening the list of food items under the public distribution system.Protein-rich food items could be added to the existing food subsidy programme that includes rice and wheat, among others.

While India is self-sufficient in the majority of food grains and is also an exporter of food, the country’s rankings are low when it comes to nutrition and hunger alleviation.According to UN India, about 195 million Indians are undernourished, constituting a quarter of the global hunger burden. Almost 47 million, or 4 out of 10 children in India, don’t achieve their full human potential because of chronic undernutrition or stunting, according to these studies.

Nutrition is one of the key pillars of sound physical health and cognitive abilities. On an average, the consumption of foods per capita per day is 1.317 kg in India, which amounts to 2,458 calories. The diets of Indians are fairly rich in carbohydrates constituting approximately 70-80 percent of their diet. Proteins are infact also sourced from carbohydrate-rich foods, because of its excess in regular diets. Actual protein sources such as dairy products, animal foods, and pulses are consumed in a comparatively limited quantity. Protein deficiency among Indians, stands at more than 80 percent, measured against the recommended 60g per day. The usual sources of proteins in a regular diet—one cup of lentils, 1 glass of milk, or 1 cup (200 g) of

yoghurt—contain 7-8 grams of protein.According to the National Sample Survey Office

(NSSO 2011-12), rural households consumed 56.5g of protein (reduced from 60.2g in 1993-94), while urban households took in 55.7g (57.2g in 1993-94). In urban areas, beverages, refreshments and processed foods account for the highest monthly expenditure, while the same position is occupied by cereals in rural households. This trend was further confirmed by a more recent Indian Consumer Market 2020 report which suggests that we spend only one-third of our food budget on protein-rich foods.

One factor which possibly affects people’s access to a balanced meal could be that healthy foods are costly. The Global Panel on Agriculture, Food Systems and Nutrition Report (2017) shows that achieving even one of the nutritional recommendations such as five fruits and vegetables per day (400g), would mean an expenditure of about 52 percent of the household income in countries like India and Bangladesh. The establishment of sustainable access to good quality and quantity of protein in the country, could aid in addressing this concern. Introducing subsidised sources of protein through PDS is a commendable decision.

However, there are certain inherent challenges. Foremost is the financial burden it is going to exert on the food bill which is currently pegged at Rs 1.84 lakh crore in 2019-20. Also, the storage of these highly perishable commodities is an important aspect. Government is attempting to distribute the likes of meat and fish through PDS which means there should be a proper storage and distribution infrastructure in place to ensure the distribution of healthy and safe food. The erratic power supply and the awareness of handlers regarding the safety of the food are also points to ponder. The distribution of damaged food can even lead to a health catastrophe. Beyond that, there is the social stigma attached to it considering that there is a sizeable population of vegetarians in India who wil be averse to the idea.


Corporate Corner

Agritech start-up Ecozen raises $6 m in Series A funding

ADAMA, RiceTec Launch New Herbicide-Tolerant Technology

DCM Shriram commissions distillery

Agritech start-up Ecozen said it has raised $6 million (around Rs.42 crore) in a Series A funding round to finance its expansion plan. Based in Pune, Ecozen was founded by three IIT-Kharagpur alumni — Devendra Gupta, Prateek Singhal and VivekPandey. It develops technology-enabled products to strengthen the farm-to-fork value chain of perishables. Ecozen said in a statement it completed its $6-million Series A fund-raise after receiving an investment from Sathguru Catalyser’s Innovation in Food & Agriculture Fund (IFA Fund). This funding is on top of the investment received in July 2019 from

Caspian and the Hivos-Triodos Fund. Omnivore, which originally invested in Ecozen in 2015, also participated in this round. The company had raised $3 million in seed funding. Ecozen’s irrigation and cold chain products (Ecotron and Ecofrost) help farmers who grow perishables to increase their yields, store their produce longer, and realise higher prices. The company said about 25,000 farmers in India use its products. A Krishna Kumar, former MD of State Bank of India, will be joining Ecozen’s board as the company embarks on its next phase of growth, the statement said. Ecozen co-founder and CEO Devendra Gupta said: “The funding raised will enable us to expand our product range, production capacity, and enter new geographies.”

The Max-Ace technology takes advantage of a unique non-GMO trait that gives the rice enhanced tolerance to HighCard herbicide. HighCard is a unique safened proprietary product made by ADAMA, which will be labeled for post emergence control of grassy weeds in rice, including red and weedy rice. HighCard will need to be applied sequentially before establishing the flood to meet stewardship requirements & maximize the effectiveness and longevity of the technology. Dave Feist, ADAMA’s Product Strategy Manager for rice said, “ADAMA is pleased to be partnering with RiceTec to bring this new weed management solution to the US market. Registration is being targeted for a full introduction in the 2022 growing season, pending all applicable EPA and other approvals”. Coming on the heels of a successful launch of the FullPage Rice Cropping Solution, RiceTec & ADAMA are eager to introduce the new Max-Ace herbicide tolerance technology to the rice marketplace. The Max-Ace technology would give rice growers a high-yielding, rice rotation alternative to FullPage and conventional offerings from RiceTec. “Max-Ace will finally give rice farmers what they’ve been waiting for…a high-yielding herbicide tolerance partner to the FullPage system, which will provide control of red rice and other grass weeds that have built resistance to the IMI herbicides,” says Leandro Pasqualli, Strategic Product Lead for RiceTec.

Diversified firm DCM Shriram has commissioned 200 kilo litres per day distillery in its sugar plant at Ajbapur, Uttar Pradesh. Now, the total capacity of the distillery business stands at 350 klpd. It had commissioned a 150 klpd distillery in 2017-18 at Hariawan. The move is in line with the firm’s earlier commitment of commissioning the distillery capacity in phases over 18 months to provide stability to the sugar business, the company said, adding it has invested ₹300 crore in the expansion.


Corporate Corner

Warehousing sector gets investment of Rs 25,000 cr since 2017; figure may touch Rs 49,500 cr by 2021

The country’s warehousing sector has attracted an investment of Rs 25,400 crore since 2017 and the inflow is likely to reach Rs 49,500 crore by 2021 on robust demand for logistics space by e-commerce companies, according to global property consultant Colliers. The industrial and warehousing sector in India has attracted significant investor interest since 2017 led by robust demand from e-commerce and other consumer-led occupiers, it said. The sector has attracted interest from multiple large institutional investors since 2017, with investment inflows of Rs 254 billion (USD 3.6 billion), signifying a large pool of capital available for investment in this sector. We project the investment inflow is likely to touch Rs 495 billion (USD 7 billion) by 2021 as existing participants expand their portfolio and new players enter the market, the consultant said. Colliers noted that this sector in the past has been characterised by fragmented sheds and godowns but now, it is becoming organised because of demand for larger facilities from e-commerce companies.

Inter-ministerial panel clears Rs 271-cr projects to boost food processing capacities

Certifying agency for Organic Foodgrains

An inter-ministerial approval committee, headed by Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, cleared projects worth Rs 271 crore to boost processing and preservation capacities. The projects were sanctioned under the Creation/Expansion of Food Processing &Preservation Capacities (CEFPPC) scheme, an official statement said. During the meeting, detailed presentations were made by the respective programme management agencies (PMAs) on the proposals and subsequent clarifications submitted by the applicant. The panel examined if the applicants have complied with the basic eligibility criterion, total project cost, eligible project cost and means of finance. The emphasis is to create direct employment for the youth as well as contribute towards Prime Minister NarendraModi’s goal to double farmers’ income by 2022, Badal said.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has notified domestic standards for organic products recognising National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP), Participatory Guarantee System for India (PGS) or any other equivalent procedure as pre-requisite for qualifying the organic food claim in domestic market. FSSAI is the food regulator in the country and is responsible for regulating organic food in domestic market and imports. The autonomous body has notified Food Safety and Standards (Organic Foods) Regulations, 2017 in the Gazette of India on December 29, 2017, official sources said here. These Regulations require organic food to comply with the provisions of any one of the existing certification systems - National Programme for Organic Production under Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) or Participatory Guarantee System for India (PGS) under Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. Organic foods are required to comply with the requirements of labelling of FSSAI in addition to that of NPOP or PGS-India. Therefore, a proper system is in place to regulate the organic foods in the country.


FSSAI mulls cattlefeed norms to curb animal food contamination

Parliament Panel calls for Organic Production Zones, e-Organic Bazar to boost exports

Cabinet approves extension of jute packaging norms for foodgrains, sugar

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is looking at bringing in standards for animal feed so as to curb contaminants, pesticides and heavy metals finding their way into foods of animal origin through feed and fodder. Till the time these regulations are finalised, the FSSAI has directed that cattlefeed materials must conform to norms set by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). “In order to address the issue on an interim basis, it has been decided that commercial feeds/feed materials intended for food producing animals shall comply with the relevant BIS standards and shall not be manufactured, imported, distributed and sold except under the Bureau of Indian Standards certification,” the directive said. Stakeholders have been given six months to comply with the directive, which will come into force in June. Noting that animal feed and fodder are turning out to be a major source of contaminants of foods of animal origin, it said, “regulatory control to ensure quality and safety of animal feed and silage is urgently needed.” According to the findings of the National Milk and Quality Survey, 2018, traces of contaminants such as Aflatoxin M1 have been found not just in raw milk supplied by unorganised players but also in processed milk supplied by organised players; feed and fodder are the cuiprit. The food safety authority had said that the presence of Aflatoxin M1 residues beyond permissible limits in processed milk is a serious concern. In its action plan for safe and quality milk and milk products, the FSSAI believes that “regulatory values or recommendations through legislation can limit animal exposure through feed ingestion against the presence of residues of mycotoxins in animal-derived products.The regulator has also said that it will be putting in systemic efforts to improve animal husbandry practices to address safety and quality concerns over milk. The FSSAI, in collaboration with the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries along with the National Dairy Development Board, will work towards enhancing awareness on improved animal husbandry and farm practices among small dairy farmers.

Expressing concern over the meagre share of India in the global organic trade despite having the highest number of organic farmers and the 9th largest area in the world under organic farming, a Parliamentary Panel strongly recommended setting up of demarcated Organic Production Zones (OPZ) and implementation of e-Organic Bazar Portal to boost organic exports from the country and to ensure remunerative price to the farmers. Referring to the huge potential for organic exports from the country, the Committee strongly recommended setting up of demarcated Organic Production Zones (OPZ) with the required processing facilities and other necessary infrastructure to boost production of value-added organic products to increase exports exponentially since value-added organic products fetch a higher premium in global market. Taking serious note of lack of effective market linkages resulting in low prices for organic products, the Committee advocated immediate launch and implementation of e-Organic Bazar Portal to enable an expanded and assured market for organic products benefitting the farmers.

The Cabinet approved extension of norms for mandatory packaging of foodgrains and sugarin jute material for the Jute Year 2019-20.The decision taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, mandates that 100 per cent of the foodgrains and 20 per cent of sugar will be mandatorily packed in diversified jute bags. The decision to pack sugar in diversified jute bags will give an impetus to the diversification of the jute industry. Further, the decision also mandates that initially 10 per cent of the indents of jute bags for packing foodgrains would be placed through reverse auction on the GeM portal. This will gradually usher in a regime of price discovery.

poliCy notes


Centre asks states to lift pulses from buffer stock to cool rising prices

Partial revival of export sops cheers spice traders

Tea Board considering new export cess to fund promotion and marketing

Amid rising prices of pulses, the Centre has asked states to place demand for subsidised pulses available in Centre’s buffer stock. Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan has written all state governments to lift pulses for their distribution through public distribution system (pds) or through other retail network. The government sells pulses including tur and chana through ration shops at prices ranging between Rs 45-55 a kg. In retail market.the prices of tur, urad and chana are ruling between Rs 70-120 a kg. Prices of all the pulses rising every day. With reports of weak crop this year, the price are likely to go up further. We have enough quantity in our buffer stock. States should take benefit of this, said a senior consumer affairs minsitry official.

The Centre has partially restored the merchandise export of India scheme (MEIS) incentive much to the relief of the spice exporters of the country, whose margins were hit after its discontinuance from August. They have decided to extend it till December

31. We hope to get the pending amounts from August, said Rajiv Palicha, chairman of All India Spices Exporters Forum, adding that the decision came last weekend. The spices industry suffered about 30-40 per cent drop in export in the last few months following the sudden withdrawal of MEIS. India exports around Rs 18,000 crore worth of spices every year. When contacted, Spices Board secretary D Sathyan also confirmed the news. MEIS was introduced in 2015 to help spices exporters earn duty credits ranging from 2-7 per cent. Rewards under the scheme are payable as percentage of realised free-onboard value and MEIS duty scrips can be transferred or used for payment of a number of duties including basic customs duty.

The Tea Board of India is toying the idea of introducing a cess on tea exports, the proceeds of which will be used to fund the promotion of Indian tea both, within the country and abroad.While the rate of the cess is yet to be finalised, sources suggested it can be around Rs 2 per kilogramme of export. India has exported 206.69 million kg (mkg) of tea do far this year. This compares to the current cess of Rs 3.5 per kilo which the Sri Lankan Tea Board charges exporters to promote Ceylonese varieties. The Tea Board is currently in talks with industry bodies such as the Indian Tea Association to chalk out the modus operandi and rate.

poliCy notes

Govt further caps stock limit on onion retailers to 2 tons to check hoarding The Centre further reduced the stock holding limit for onion to 2 tonnes

from 5 tonnes for retail traders as part of efforts to check hoarding and boost domestic supply of the kitchen staple. In a statement, the Consumer Affairs Ministry directed the state governments to undertake anti-hoarding operation with immediate effect on retail traders. Earlier, the ministry had reduced the stock holding limit for retailers to 5 tonnes from 10 tonnes while that on wholesalers to 25 tonnes from 50 tonnes as onion prices were ruling high up to Rs 150 per kg. With retail prices failing to cool down, the ministry has further reduced the stock limits on retailers to 2 tonnes from the existing level of 5 tonnes with immediate effect, the statement added. Retail onion prices have risen in the past two months due to short supply owing to fall in production of kharif (summer) crop after heavy rains. As per the ministry’s data, maximum retail prices are ruling at Rs 165 per kg, while modal price was at Rs 100 per kg. In most cities, onions are quoted over Rs 100 per kg in retail markets, pinching hard on consumers’ pocket. The government has taken several measures to improve the supply of onion across the country and check price rise. Besides banning export, the government is boosting the supply through various modes including through sale of buffer stock onions at a subsidised rates and imports.


Karnataka to offer incentives for agri-related units

Kerala Agriculture Minister leads agro-technology drive Fish production increased in Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Odisha and West Bengal, and came down in states such as

Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu during 2018-19.In a written reply to Shobha Karandlaje, Member of Parliament from Udupi-Chikmagaluru Lok Sabha constituency, in Lok Sabha, the Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Pratap Chandra Sarangi, said fish production in the country increased from 10.26 million tonnes in 2014-15 to 13.34 million tonnes in 2018-19. The production stood at 12.59 mt and 11.43 mt in 2017-18 and 2016-17, respectively. Andhra Pradesh topped the list in fish production with 3.99 mt (2018-19), 3.44 mt (2017-18), and 2.76 mt (2016-17). This was followed by West Bengal at 1.77 mt , 1.74 mt and 1.7 mt during 2018-19, 2017-18 and 2016-17, respectively. Fish production came down from 0.60 mt (2017-18) to 0.58 mtillion tonnes (2018-19) in Karnataka, and from 0.83 million tonnes (2017-18) to 0.72 mt (2018-19) in Gujarat. The Minister said in the reply that the export of fish and fisheries products has witnessed a significant growth in the last five years. It increased from ₹33,441.61 crore during 2014-15 to ₹47,621 crore during 2018-19.However, the export of fish and fisheries products from eight coastal states stood at 1.33 million tonnes in 2018-19 as against 1.37 million tonnes in 2017-18.Barring Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, the export of fish and fisheries products came down in other states during 2018-19. The reply said that the export from Odisha is happening through the ports of West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, as no port is handling reefer cargo in Odisha. Answering the query on the financial assistance given to states during the last three years for improving fishing infrastructure and strengthening processing and post-harvest management, he said the funds are released to the State governments and Union Territories based on the detailed proposals submitted by them.During 2016-19, the Central financial assistance of ₹1186.89 crore has been released to the state and Union Territories for the development of fisheries including the fisheries infrastructure and post-harvest management. Of this, ₹480.68 crore was released in 2018-19, ₹322.16 crore in 2017-18, and ₹384.04 crore was released in 2016-17.

state roundup

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said that the government would take measures to set up industrial clusters based on the agriculture produce grown in particular regions and offer attractive concessions to those setting up agri-related units. He called upon farmers to minimise chemicals in agriculture by switching to organic farming.“We are giving more thrust to organic farming. It is the only way to minimise toxic chemicals and their negative effect on the growers and consumers. Already discussions are taking place on a large scale. I am planning to hold meetings with farmers in each taluk every month to create awareness about it,” the Chief Minister said at the curtain raiser of Agro Food-tech Expo-2020. The expo will take

place from April 22 to 26 next year. The event will be organised by the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) at the Palace

Grounds, which will see attendance from experts and participants from different parts of India and abroad. Yediyurappa said a mega convention is going on in Shivamogga on organic farming, where thousands of farmers have enrolled themselves. He recalled how his ‘per drop, more crop’ drive resulted in a micro-irrigation project on 26,000 acres in 2012. Yediyurappa said India has slipped to the 102nd spot among 117 nations in the Global Hunger Index and lamented that an estimated 40 per cent of foodgrains go waste in the country annually. “According to the Global Hunger Index-2019, India ranks 102 out of 117 nations. On the one hand, people are suffering from hunger, while on the other, there is huge wastage of agriculture produce,” he said.


Food Corp to procure 30,000 tn moong, 24,000 tn urad in Maharashtra The Food Corp of India will procure 30,000 tn moong and 24,000 tn urad in Maharashtra, a senior government official said.

In 2019-20 kharif marketing season (Oct-Sep), the Centre is aiming to procure 1.12 mlntn pulses through National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd and the Food Corp, he said. Among pulses, the Centre would procure a total of 344,654 tn moong, 235,550 tn urad, and 545,573 tntur, the official said. The government will procure moong at 7,050 rupees per 100 kg and urad at 5,700 rupees per 100 kg in this kharif marketing season. The FCI will also start procuring pulses in limited quantities in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Gujarat. The Food Corp of India will start purchasing tur in Karnataka once the arrivals start in full swing, the first official said. Estimates for pulses procurement are lower this year as the prices of most pulses are above the minimum support prices due to a decline in production, the official said. According to the government’s first advance estimate, 2019-20 tur production has been pegged at 3.5 mlntn compared with 3.6 mlntn in the previous year, while moong output has been pegged at 1.42 mlntn against 1.84 produced last year.

Punjab looks to basmati rice, citrus, buffalo meat to boost agri exports With the focus on crop

diversification and generating higher income for farmers, the agriculture export policy (AEP) 2019 of Punjab, notified on November 21, aims to more than double the value of its total exports in the financial year 2027-28 from 2017-18. The Punjab Agri Export Corporation Limited (Pagrexco) has been appointed the nodal agency for the implementation of AEP, which emphasises on identifying commodities with higher export potential in the long term that include dairy products, processed vegetables, buffalo/pork meat, maize and maize products, basmati rice, processed fruits, juices and nuts and fresh vegetables and fruits. According to the concept prepared by Pagrexco, the key objectives of AEP include framing a medium to long-term strategy to increase exports of agricultural produce from the state and strengthening back-end and front-end infrastructure to boost exports of fresh and value-added fruits and vegetables from Punjab. The other objectives are “to identify focused commodities and to identify clusters for developing export related infrastructure and undertake capacity building of farmers to get advantage of export market and to promote public-private initiative in developing competitive export infrastructure and high yielding export oriented farm production for better farmer-producer organisation linkage.

Assam government will set up 100 organic markets for selling organic products

In a move to incentivise organic farming, Assam government will set up 100 organic markets for selling organic products. Chairing a meeting of Agriculture department Chief Minister Sonowal also directed Deputy Commissioners (DCs) to allot suitable lands in their respective districts. The meeting also discussed in details the ways and means to produce seeds in the state so that the seed requirements of the farmers are met from within the state itself. Sonowal asked the Managing Director of Assam Seeds Corporation Limited to produce seeds to the tune of Rs. 200 crore. He also stressed on creating adequate infrastructure for seed production in the state. Sonowal also asked the Agriculture Department to ensure effective and judicious use of seeds by the farmers.

state roundup


US mulls doubling pear exports to India Pear Bureau Northwest that supports about 900 pear growing farmers of the US, plans to double pear exports to India to

220,000 boxes (of 20 kg each) in next 2-3 seasons as it widens reach to tier-II and -III cities through the tie-up with almost all the large modern trade retail chains including Future Group, Reliance Retail and Aditya Birla Retail. On the supply side, it has tied up with 15 large importers to market and distribute the fruit across India. Pear Bureau will invest about $200,000 to $300,000 this season in training retailers on the nitty-gritty of handling the fruit while in transit and cold storage besides spreading awareness and advertisement campaign. USA Pears are grown in Oregon and Washington where the right mix of volcanic soil, clean mountain water and warm spring and summer days with cool nights combine to produce world’s finest pears. The Northwestern region of the US grows about 21 million boxes of pear a year. However, production has dropped in last few years due to change in climatic conditions. It recorded output of 18.7 million boxes last season and expected it to fall further to 17.5 million boxes this year. The region exported about 6.5 million boxes last year with Mexico accounting for half of its shipments. Ranked sixth-largest market for USA Pears, India imported 108,000 boxes worth $3 million last season. Pear Bureau plans to conduct specialised training programmes for large retailers and potential vendors from Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad. Jeff Correa, Director (International Marketing), Pear Bureau Northwest told BusinessLine that the growth in logistics facilities and availability of cold storage houses in India has been tremendous and the reach of modern retail has been the icing on the cake. The biggest challenge for the US now is to ramp up pear production to meet the growing demand in small cities and keep the supply chain well oiled, he added. In fact, USA Pears complements the Indian pear season which ends in September and the USA Pears arrive in market from October giving Indian consumers more choices, he said. USA Pears sells at a premium as it attracts an import duty of 26.5 per cent. Pears in India are grown in northern belt mainly in Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir.

UAE’s top companies to invest in food, logistics in Punjab Leading UAE-based industry groups are likely to firm up plans to invest in food and logistics sector in Punjab in coming

weeks. As one of the partner countries for Progressive Punjab Investors Summit (PPIS) 2019, UAE is looking at increasing its stake in the state’s development and growth by strengthening their existing strategic ties. While Lulu Group is in talks to finalise agreements to support long-term procurement of fresh fruits and vegetables from the State, DP World is exploring entry into the logistics sector in Pathankot. Another of UAE’s industry leaders, Emaar Group is looking to enter the food sector - sourcing fresh fruits and vegetables from Punjab, besides looking at setting up a poultry unit in the state, disclosed Vini Mahajan, Additional Chief Secretary, Investment Promotion and Addl CS, Industries & Commerce, Govt. of Punjab. The Group, a Dubai-based real estate company, has already come up with their 1st Integrated Township in Punjab, and have property spread across 630 acres in Mohali. A UAE government delegation led by the UAE Ambassador to India will be taking part in the keynote and panel discussions at the summit. They will be accompanied by industry delegation from UAE to explore areas for collaboration, and will include CXO level executives from Sharaf Group and Lulu Group.

global updAte


Iran set to topple Russia as India’s largest tea importer this year Iran is set to overtake Russia this year as the largest importer of Indian tea, despite the US sanctions on trade that it is facing.

Exports to Iran hit a record high of 43.76 million kg (mkg) this year till September, earning India a forex of $172.84 million. Sources said owing to the US sanctions on Iran, other exporting countries like Sri Lanka have found it hard to sustain their shipments. After the sanctions were imposed, there was some uncertainty over how payments would be made, given that Iran did not have adequate foreign exchange. However, under the trade agreement between India and Iran, the West Asian country can pay India in rupees for its imports against oil exports to India, which New Delhi pays for in Iranian Rial. This trade agreement has not only helped India sustain the market but expand it as well. While exports from other countries faced uncertainty, Indian exporters were able to eat into the competition and gain market share, a planter, who directly exports bulk tea to Iran, said.

Govt wants NMR-testing mandatory for honey exported from India The government has asked the Export Inspection Council (EIC) that comes under the Commerce Ministry to make NMR-

testing mandatory for honey exported from India to ensure quality as part of its efforts to boost outward shipments. The NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) screening technique is used to test for adulterations and other manipulations. Industry experts believe that this test will ensure quality of honey and help exporters in getting a better price in the international market. According to representatives from the apiculture industry, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) - which comes under the Commerce Ministry - had called a meeting of honey exporters on November 18, and a honey export body was set up. During the meeting, the participants had an unanimous view that the NMR testing should be made mandatory. EIC has set up a lab near Mumbai where testing of honey that is to be exported can be done but the services are not available to all beekeepers. Two years ago, honey exporters would get USD 2,900 per tonne but because of adulterated honey, they get about USD 1,500 now, National Bee Board (NBB) executive member Devvrat Sharma told.

Piyush Goyal holds discussions with seafood exporters to boost exports to $30-billion level

Commerce and Industry Minister PiyushGoyal held discussions with seafood exporters on ways to promote the sector’s shipments and take them to USD 30-billion level in the coming years. He met a delegation of representatives from Seafood Exporters Association to aggressively promote fisheries exports and chalk out a roadmap for USD 30 billion of exports. He said that the government is committed to safeguard the interests of fishermen. India exports seafood worth over USD 7 billion. Frozen shrimp and frozen fish are major export items. The US and south-east Asia are the major import markets of India’s seafood products, with a share of about 33 per cent and 32 per cent in dollar terms, respectively.

global updAte


The Cotton Development and Research Association (CDRA) of Southern India Mills’ Association has signed an agreement with Cotton Development Organisation and National Agricultural Research Organisation of Uganda to develop a cotton seed variety that will help increase the income of farmers in both the countries. B. Lakshminarayana, former chairman of the SIMDACDRA, and R. Elango, its chairman, said the 18-month project will look at technology exchange between the two countries to develop a cotton seed variety that will give higher yield and ginning out turn. Uganda grows 100% organic cotton and cotton grown by the farmers in Uganda gives higher ginning out turn compared with Indian cotton. However, the yield from the varieties developed by the CDRA are higher compared with the Ugandan cotton seed. Scientists in the three organisations will work together and seed varieties will be tested in both India and Uganda. The aim is to develop a long-staple cotton seed variety that will increase the income for cotton farmers in Uganda.India imports about 10 lakh bales from African countries. Industry sources say transport cost of cotton from west African countries is less compared to shipping from Gujarat. Uganda produces 1.5 lakh bales of cotton a year and 90 % of it is exported. It has 20 active ginners, according to the International Trade Centre, which facilitated the partnership. By March the SITA (Supporting Indian Trade and Investment for Africa) will also facilitate the next steps, including technical exposure visits, preparation of a detailed multi-year workplan etc.

Cotton research bodies in India, Uganda to develop new seed variety

what’s new

TSS Launches New Organic Fertilizer for Arecanut, Pepper and Banana Crops

Local brands flourish as demand for organic produce rises in India, abroad

India heading for a record tea production this year

The Totagars’ Cooperative Sale Society (TSS) Ltd at Sirsi in Uttara Kannada district has launched a new organic fertilizer product in the market. Ravish Hegde, General Manager of TSS Ltd, informed that ‘TSS Annapurna’, the second organic fertilizer product from the cooperative, is an oil cake-based fertilizer and is being marketed by the cooperative under its own brand. ‘TSS Annapurna’ helps in the growth of Trichoderma, Hegde said, adding that it is suitable for arecanut, pepper and banana plantations. The 96-year-old cooperative has around 30,000 members. The product is being marketed in 30-kg bags.

The growing demand for organic products in domestic and international market, has resulted in mushrooming of small FMCG companies. People around the globe are getting more conscious of what they are eating. Urban middle class does not want chemicals in their food and are switching to organic products. From fruits and vegetables to cereals, spices to tea and coffee, people prefer organic products, Viney Singh, managing director, FabIndia said. The company is one of the pioneers in popularising the organic way of living. Starting from Organic India Tulsi tea, the brand’s product portfolio today boasts of hundreds of organic products. The latest addition was Fabcafe, started in 2017, which offers organic food and a wellness centre to its customers. According to Avalon Consulting, organic produce may prove to be the next big thing in the domestic market. Even by conservative measures, the Indian organic food market is expected to grow in the short-term at a compound annual growth rate of 20 per cent – taking it above the $2 billion mark by 2024.

Despite a disappointing October, India is heading towards a record production in tea this calendar year, thanks to higher output in previous months. Tea Board has now released the data for October which shows a decline in production in both South and North due to adverse weather conditions. South India lost 1.82 million kg (mkg) to produce 25.23 mkg while North India lost 4.08 mkg to produce 151.68 mkg, Rajesh Gupta, compiler of Global Tea Digest, informed. Collectively, India’s production in October fell by 5.90 mkg to dip to 176.91 mkg, he said. Our compilation shows that India’s production in the ten months rose to 1183.27 mkg from 1162.01 mkg in Jan-Oct 2018, thanks to higher output in previous months, Rajesh Gupta said. This increase of 21.26 mkg marked a gain of 1.83 per cent. The increase would have been more had it not been for a fall of 6.39 mkg or 3.44 per cent in the South where the output dropped to 179.16 mkg from 185.55 mkg.


what’s new

44 pesticides banned for import, manufacture, sale

Medicinal crop farming gains ground in UP

Till now 44 pesticides have been banned for import, manufacture and sale, two pesticide formulations have been restricted to be manufactured for export only and eight pesticides have been withdrawn and are no longer in use in agriculture, said Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar. The minister also said that 18 pesticides have been refused registration, nine have been restricted for use and six shall be phased out by December 31, 2020. He was replying to BJP leader Vijaypal Singh Tomar’s queries over use of dangerous chemicals and pesticides in farming.Vijaypal Singh had questioned the minister whether government or any agency has conducted any survey on the death of farmers due to ignorance about using dangerous chemicals and pesticides in farming causing ill effect on human health. He also expressed to know whether government has considered imposing restrictions or ban on such chemicals which can severely affect and harm the health of the farmers who use them, the farm products on which these are used and the health of the human beings who consume these farm products. The minister said, No survey has been conducted by Department of Agriculture, Cooperation

and Farmers Welfare. Indian Council of Agricultural Research and state governments of Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab, Kerala, Gujarat, Meghalaya, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu have also reported that no such survey has been done. He said that Indian Council of Medical Research has reported that it has recently initiated a multi-centric study to assess exposure and the health effects of pesticides. It was found that pesticides are toxic substances but they do not pose any adverse effect on human beings, animals and the environment if they are used as per the label and leaflet approved by the registration committee.

Farmers in western Uttar Pradesh, particularly the Moradabad division, have taken to cultivation of medicinal crops in a big way. Under the medicinal crop scheme, the government provides almost 30 per cent discount to farmers. According to Harjeet Singh, an official in the Horticulture Department, farmers were earning well by switching to the cultivation of medicinal crops like basil, asparagus and aloe vera. The aloe vera crop, costs around Rs 56,000 per hectare and the government gives Rs 16,000 to the farmer directly through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme, the official said. He further said that as per the target, asparagus will be grown in 35 hectares, basil in 55 hectares and aloe vera in 20 hectares. Many farmers have already switched to farming of medicinal crops, even without the government aid, because the monetary returns were greater. The official said that more and more farmers were switching to medicinal crop farming in the region due to higher returns.

Listing of high-potential farm goods, global alerts to boost exports In 2018-19 agriculture exports were at $ 38.73 billion, was almost the same as the amount exported the previous

year. The share of agriculture in total exports declined to 11.76 per cent compared to 12.66 per cent in 2017-18 and 12.07 per cent in 2016-17. The official pointed out that while India exported a large variety of farm products, there existed a lot of untapped potential which needed to be explored. ‘Be it floriculture, fruits and vegetables seeds and fresh, processed and dried fruits and vegetables, the scope for growth is immense. Drawing up a list of potential items and potential markets is an attempt to ensure that enough attention is given in the desired direction,’ the official said. Dissemination of information on global developments such as commodity price movements, changes in various quality and technical requirements in important markets and the production situation in competing markets could help domestic exporters in gearing up and responding accordingly. ‘The Commerce Ministry is working on a weekly alert system on global agricultural developments for all stakeholders and it will be put in place soon,’ the official said. The ongoing efforts in the States to prepare a comprehensive State Agriculture Export Action Plan, inclusive of all elements suggested in the AEP, will also be given a push with the Commerce Ministry writing to all the States to expedite it, the official added. The elements include creation of infrastructure for agriculture exports such as sorting, packaging, testing and certification and cold storage.


COVER FEATURE NEW YEAR SPECIAL

Year ofUps & Downs

2019AGRICULTURE TODAY January 202020



The year 2019 saw many ups and down. With a new government placed in the center, the year was ripe with expectations and hope

of a new beginning, more so in agriculture. With the scars of 2018 that tore deep into the agri sector, it was imperative that the new establishment would make necessary changes to change the agri distress that was built up over the years. Falling agri prices, truncating agri incomes, stagnating productivity, intensifying climate change have made it imperative to usher in policy change. Doubling farmers, income is yet to be realized and hope is rife that years ensuing would bring positive changes in that direction.

2019 – Balance SheetThe year 2019, as previous years, saw augmented food grain production. The Kharif foodgrain production in the 2019-20 crop year is estimated at 140.57 million tonnes, which is 8.44 million tonnes more than the average foodgrain production of the previous five years. According to the first advanced estimate of 2019-20 Kharif crops, rice production is estimated to be 100.35 million tonnes, which is 6.80 million tonnes more than the

last five year’s average production of 93.55 million tonnes.

The production of most of the crops for the agricultural year 2019-20 has been estimated higher than their normal production. Production of Kharif Nutri/coarse cereals is estimated at 32.00 million tonnes. It is higher by 1.01 million tonnes than the production of 30.99 million tonnes achieved during 2018-19. What is notable in 2019-20 production year is the pulses production that saw an increment of 1 million tonnes than the five years’ average production of 7.23 million tonnes. So was also the oilseeds production. Total Kharif oilseeds production in the country during 2019-20 is estimated at

22.39 million tonnes which is higher by 1.11 million tonnes than the production of 21.28 million tonnes during 2018-19. The production of oilseeds during 2019-20 is also higher by 2.17 million tonnes than the average oilseeds production.

Total production of sugarcane in the country during 2019-20 is estimated at 377.77 million tonnes. The production of sugarcane during 2019-20 is higher by 27.99 million tonnes than the average sugarcane production of 349.78 million tonnes.

Production of cotton estimated at 32.27 million bales (of 170 kg each) is higher by 3.56 million bales than


the production of 28.71 million bales during 2018-19 while production of jute and mesta estimated at 9.96 million bales (of 180 kg each) is higher than the production during 2018-19.

The total horticulture production is estimated to rise marginally to 314.87 million tonnes in the 2018-19 crop year, according to the Second Advanced Estimate (2018-19) of area and production of various horticulture crops. Horticulture production stood at 311.71 million tonnes in the previous year. The area under horticulture crops also rose to 25.6 million hectare from 25.43 million hectare.

Under the horticulture crops, production of fruits is estimated to be around 97.38 million tonnes in 2018-19 compared to 97.36 million tonnes in the previous year. Vegetables production is estimated to rise 1.6 per cent at around 187.36 million tonnes. Among vegetables, onion production is estimated to be around 23.28 million tonnes, slightly higher than production in 2017-18. Potato production is estimated to be around 52.96 million tonnes, which is 3.2 per cent higher than 2017-18. Tomato production is estimated to be

around 19.66 million tonnes, which is 0.5 per cent lower than 2017-18.

As per the data, spices production is estimated to be around 8.61 million tonnes, which is 6.01 per cent higher than 2017-18.

Milk production in India stood at a whopping 176.35 million tonnes in 2018, which is an increase of over 6% from 2017. India, also a global leader in milk production, has seen a continuous increase in the production in the last decade.Egg production has increased from 82928.44 million Nos in 2015-16 to 95217.00 Million Nos in 2017-18. The poultry meat

production has also increased from 3.264 million tonnes in 2015-16 to 3.767 million tonnes in 2017-18.

Union Budget 2019Last year saw two budgets being presented in the parliament. One was the interim budget presented by Minister Piyush Goyal considering the imminent elections and the other was the Union budget presented after the election by the newly appointed Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitaraman. Farmers remained a central theme in both the budgets.

The Union Budget 2019-20



made a historic allocation for the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. An amount of Rs 1,30,485 crore —the highest-ever has been allocated for the sector. Agriculture, which formed 3.5% of the budget in FY19, comprised 5.4% of budgeted expenditure in FY20, an increase of 1.9 percentage points (the biggest rise). The allocation proposed represents a 140 per cent jump over the ’18-19 budget estimate of Rs 57,600 crore. This leap is mostly due to the staggering Rs 75,000 crore allocated to the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan). Of the agriculture ministry’s budget, 57 per cent is now for direct cash assistance to farmers.

Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), was another sig-nificant proposal by the government. The scheme intended for the Fishing and fishermen communities envis-

‘Scheme of Fund for Upgradation and Regeneration of Traditional In-dustries’ (SFURTI) which offers to set up more Common Facility Cen-tres (CFCs) to facilitate cluster based development to make the traditional industries more productive, profitable and capable for generating sustained employment opportunities. Focus-ing on Bamboo, Honey and Khadi clusters, SFURTI envisions setting up 100 new clusters during 2019-20 which should enable 50,000 artisans to join the economic value chain. Fur-ther, to improve the technology of such industries, the Scheme for Pro-motion of Innovation, Rural Industry and Entrepreneurship’ (ASPIRE) has been consolidated for setting up of Livelihood Business Incubators (LBIs) and Technology Business Incubators (TBIs). Farmers’ access to market has been a critical issue in agricul-ture. This year the Finance Mnister

farmers. This budget has aspired to reduce that strain and add more value and income to the farming segment.

From Green Revolution to Zero Budget FarmingZero Budget Farming was an important take away from this year’s budget. When the Finance Minister reiterated her stance and resolve in doubling farmers’ income in time for the 75th year of Independence, she chose Zero Budget Farming to represent the steps that would lead us in that direction. Since then the farming technique has gained traction in the country.

Zero Budget farming technically called as Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) relies on no externally applied inputs. Having said that no credit or zero budget goes into this system of farming. The reliance on locally procured inputs as fertilizers and seeds cuts down on the dependence of farmers on the market for procuring them. With no external inputs applied, farmers are insulated from the rise in price of the inputs or the lack of access to reliable inputs. No inputs translate to zero investments, leading to the moniker, “Zero Budget”.

This type of farming was a grass root level movement of peasants that originated from Karnataka and which later spread to many other states. The movement in Karnataka state was born out of collaboration between Mr. Subhash Palekar, who put together the ZBNF practices, and the state farmers association Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS). The Farming basically relies upon cowdung, cow urine (of local breeds), lime, straw, leaves essentially procured locally. Botanicals are also relied upon. The Economic Survey mentioned Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) along with Vedic Farming, Homa Farming and Cow Farming and how these “climate friendly” agricultural practices can enable “elimination of chemical pesticides” and restoration of soil organic matter and fertility.

While one can consider the

aged to establish a robust fisheries management framework at the same time addressing critical gaps in the value chain, including infrastructure, modernization, traceability, produc-tion, productivity, post-harvest man-agement, and quality control. This should be seen in wake of the rising importance of the fisheries sector in the agri exports. Another significant reference that was made in the bud-get was about Zero Budget Farming. The budget has also emphasized the Cluster based development through

has ensured the formation of 10,000 new Farmer Producer Organizations, to ensure economies of scale for farmers over the next five years. Be-sides this, the Government plans to work with State Governments to al-low farmers to benefit from e-NAM.

Agriculture remained an important focal point of the Union budget. Going by the historic allocation and the schemes, the resolve had been to address the strain and stress in the agriculture sector. The years before were particularly difficult on the



benefits accrued from natural farming, it would be naïve to assume that zero budget farming with its one stroke can double the income of farmers. While it is true that it negates the necessity of many of the store bought inputs, it is still difficult to believe that it works on ‘zero’ budget. The labour charges that go into the elaborate preparation of the special concoctions utilizing good amounts of cow dung and urine has been unaccounted for. The system also prefers local breeds of cows and hence their access and procurement would also be a difficult issue. The produce from these farms are technically organic and hence would be unfair to be sold in conventional markets where they do not fetch a premium price. Moreover, the yield obtained from these farms would be lesser when compared to modern agriculture practices. If increasing farmers’ income is gauged by decreasing the money spent on the farm by farmers at the cost of reducing the yield, the strategy needs to be relooked. We do not want the food prices to rise.

PMKSNY - Benefiting BefittinglyLack of an assured income has

remained the bane of India’s agriculture. Agriculture, being dependent on innumerable variables, have led to deep instability in the income earned by the farmers. This has time and again affected the productivity of agriculture. With a vast majority of population dependent on agriculture, this problem needed an absolute solution. With market corrections and support prices failing farmers repeatedly, direct income became a suitable option.

The interim budget proposed by Shri Piyush Goyal held solution to the troubled income recovery phenomenon of farmers from agriculture. The budget announced the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana (PMKSNY), a straight income

transfer to farmers that would benefit farmers in its own way. The scheme proposes a benefit of Rs. 6,000 per year, payable in three instalments of Rs. 2,000 each to all the eligible farmers having a land holding of up to 2 hectares. The government of India has made a provision of Rs. 75,000 crore for this scheme, under which about 12 crore farmers of the country will be covered.

This came at a suitable juncture when the markets have repeatedly failed the farmers in realising the price of commodities. The result of which was widely displayed in the streets across the nation. Farmer suicides and farmer protests were vivid descriptions of what is wrong in the agriculture markets. Many



indirect credit support systems such as bank loans, subsidies, support prices have failed to promise the income stability let alone, double farm incomes which was an important mandate of the government. This direct income support will go a long way in assuring a set amount to be credited to the bank accounts of the farmers. Not only it will be of immense benefit to the farmers in supporting their families, it also can help in enhancing the productivity of agriculture. The extra amount can be used in investing better inputs, technology and innovation.

Besides, increasing the production of current farming operations, this will also help in investing in ancillary enterprises and expanding the income of the farmers. Thus it will increase the avenue of farmers to derive income. The same can also be used to obtain training in specialized operations or that which is intended in skill development. This again will create more avenues for income generation. In general this direct income support positively will influence in increasing the living standards directly and indirectly.

With this scheme, the government has refused to give into the pressure of waiving loans, and instead has focused into providing income support to the farmers.

Crossing Swords with PepsicoThree farmers from Gujarat ended up in court in 2019 as the US food and beverages giant Pepsi-Co sued them for illegally growing and selling a variety of potato exclusively registered by the company. PepsiCo claimed it has the sole rights to grow them to manufacture chips of its brand - Lay’s. Accordingly, the court had stayed the farmers from growing and selling the potatoes. The court has also sought reply from the three over company’s claims of infringement on its rights.

PepsiCo India Holdings Pvt. Ltd uses the registered variety of potatoes called FL 2027, which is a hybrid of

FL 1867 and Wischip varieties, for manufacturing chips for its brand. The company is the registered breeder of FL 2027 under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act, 2001. In India, this variety was first put to commercial use in 2009 and is traded under the trademark FC5. It has granted license to some farmers in Punjab to grow the variety on the buyback system. By growing these potatoes without license, meant violating its statutory rights.

PepsiCo relationship with farmers in India goes back 28 years and they are working along with 24,000 farmers across 14 states through various agri programs. PepsiCo India was the first corporate to introduce collaborative farming of process-grade potatoes in India in 2004-05. PepsiCo presently works with farmers, spread across West Bengal, Maharashtra, Punjab, and Gujarat, UP, Karnataka, Bihar, Haryana and Chhattisgarh. More than 45 percent of these are small and marginal farmers with a land holding of one acre or less. Under the collaborative farming model, PepsiCo procures around 45 per cent of its current total annual requirement of 2.40 lakh tonnes of potato by working with farmers and the rest 55 per cent from the open market.The company works with farmers throughout the

crop lifecycle and this includes the supply of planting material, offering plant protection programmes and assistance in securing soft loans under the collaborative farming model.

The company had even sought more than 10 million rupees each for alleged patent infringement.After a social media campaign took off asking consumers to boycott PepsiCo products, the multinational giant offered to amicably settle the matter.

Procuring J&K AppleThe reorganization of Indian Landscape, post scraping of the special status of J&K was an important happening in 2019. This has spawned a volley of opportunities for Indian agriculture and also J&K agriculture.

To help the apple farmers in the valley, the Centre made the decision to procure apples cultivated in Jammu & Kashmir directly from farmers by the Government-run National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED).The payment will be delivered to bank accounts of farmers through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme. The announcement was in response to the reports of threats from terrorists who have threatened apple growers



not to sell their produce in the market following abrogation of the special status given to J&K under Article 370 and bifurcation of the State into two Union Territories.

Far removed from the policies and programmes of Indian mainland, J&K now has the opportunity to reap the benefits of many of them. For instance the current move of procurement advocates co-operative marketing of agricultural produce to benefit farmers. The procurement will be made directly from genuine apple growers and the State administration will ensure direct payment in bank accounts of apple growers through DBT. All categories of apples i.e. A, B and C will be procured from all the apple producing districts in J&K as well as designated mandis (wholesale markets). Fair prices for various categories will be fixed by the price committee that includes a member from the National Horticulture Board. Quality Committee will ensure proper grading of varieties of apples.

The government had also decided to pump in Rs 8,000 crore to help apple and dry fruit traders in Jammu and Kashmir and refresh business sentiment in the Valley, which will include Rs 2,000 crore towards obtaining apples directly from the growers this season. The move will also be propitious for India as a whole as Kashmir accounts for

production of 91% walnuts, 90% of almonds, cherry and saffron, and 70% apples in the country, which makes a total worth of Rs. 7000 crore annually. With government’s resolve of increasing agri exports, addition of Kashmir products will broad base Indian offerings at the global market. These may open up investments in the hitherto estranged valley.

Onion – The perennial Tear JerkerOnion prices once again attracted national attention as it travels upwards sending jitters across the politicians, authorities and consumers. The government battled with the responsibility of finding a solution without upsetting the

producers as well as the consumers. Prices shooting up as high as Rs.200 per kilo, government desperately tried to contain the prices.

Since May this year, prices in wholesale markets across the onion-growing districts of Maharashtra have been increasing and the government has been exploring different options. The state-run MMTC had floated contracts for importing 2,000 tonnes of onions from ‘Pakistan, Egypt, China, Afghanistan and other countries of origin’. Following sharp criticism, MMTC dropped Pakistan from the list of countries. The Centre also tried to restrict exports by sharply hiking the Minimum Export Price (MEP) to $850 per tonne. The government had also ended the 10 per cent export subsidy for the bulb. Anticipating a shortage, the central government had created a buffer stock of 57,000 tonnes, of which 18,000 tonnes have already been offloaded. Despite the efforts, government has not been able to rein in the rocketing prices.

The reasons behind price rise are varied. Primarily, the current increase in onion prices is a fallout of last year’s drought and the delayed monsoon this year. To add to the woes, some onion-growing areas have reported excessive rain, and harvest period has been delayed by a week or so. Besides with Navarathri season bringing onion consumption to the lowest, it has spurred an increment of prices on low demand. While the cultivation area under rabi crop has decreased in Maharashtra, neighbouring Karnataka has received heavy rain during the harvest period for kharif crop, which delayed the arrival of onion from Karnataka. If government data on onion production from the past five years is analysed, it can be seen that onion production in 2019 nearly halved in comparison to 2018.

Onion prices rise are notorious for the ripples they create in political circles. This innocuous vegetable that forms the base ingredient in



Indian cuisine, and hence abundantly used by the Indian household, had in the past decided the electoral victory. Onions ended up as the decisive factor in the 1998 state elections in Delhi and Rajasthan, and were responsible for bringing down the central government in 1980. Hence any sway in the onion prices towards a costlier direction will elicit swift response from the government. The Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) was an important measure that was set up in this direction which was meant to help regulate the price volatility of important agri-horticultural commodities like onion, potatoes and pulses. The scheme provides for maintaining a strategic buffer of aforementioned commodities for subsequent calibrated release to moderate price volatility and discourage hoarding and unscrupulous speculation. For building such stock, the scheme promotes direct purchase from farmers/farmers’ association at farm gate/Mandi.

Although Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan has asserted that rise in onion price was a “temporary phase”, and assured that there is enough stock in the buffer to check price of the onion. Despite the assurances, the country is wary of price rise and the panic is evident. Despite all the

“On the surface, the current prospects for the agricultural industries do not look so great. In H1 FY20 we have seen an overall slowdown in the economy and the agriculture sector too has slowed further with a decrease in its contribution to the overall economy. There has also been extensive damage to crops due to the unusually high rainfall. This has had an adverse impact on the Food inflation rate across food groups, which has been increasing steadily since the beginning of this year. This in turn is adversely impacting the purchasing power of the consumers - yet the farmer’s realisation remains a concern. The shortage of farm output has also impacted agri trade revenue with agri exports continuing to decrease.

However, amidst all this doom and gloom there are some positive signs which are evident. One is that due to the substantial rainfall water reservoir levels across the country are now quite high. There is expectation of a good Rabi harvest. In addition, the rural and agri spending continues to be strong. There is low fund utilization in some of the key rural schemes so spend is expected to increase in the coming months. The PMKSY is also going strong with many states putting a lot of efforts on ensuring maximum coverage of farmers under the microirrigation scheme. This should pave way for higher crop productivity and water conservation in the future. We are also seeing the beginning of some structural changes happening in the industry which are a portent of the times to come. Tamil Nadu became the first State in the country to enact a law on contract farming with the Agricultural Produce and Livestock Contract Farming and Services (Promotion and Facilitation) Act. This would help safeguard the interests of farmers during times of bumper crop or when market prices fluctuate.

If the agriculture sector is to really flourish to its true potential, then there needs to be a lot of effort in the future for enhancing the value realized by the farmers. If farmers can realize better value they can invest more in mechanization and modern farming methods which will usher in the next green revolution in the country”.

Mr. Sanjeev Mohoni, CEOMahindra EPC Irrigation Ltd.


efforts, Onion has remained a tear jerker. Price stabilization fund, buffer stock, hiking MEP, import decisions, the country has been facing onion price rise every year.

The Year of Cash Incentives The year 2019 saw many states coming forward with direct cash transfers instead of the customary loan waivers. Andhra Pradesh implemented YSR Rythu Bharosa-PM Kisaan, under which the farmers in the state will be entitled to an annual benefit of Rs 13,500.This is so far the highest financial support offered to farmers by any state in India. This is part of the Chief Minister, Jagan Mohan Reddy’s Navaratnalu, a basket


of nine welfare schemes, that was part of his election campaign.

The YSR Rythu Bharosa replaces the previous TDP government’s ‘Annadata Sukhibhava’ scheme, introduced in February this year. Under Rythu Bharosa, land holder farmers owning up to five acres will be provided with an annual benefit of Rs 13,500.Landless cultivators or tenant farmers from SC, ST, BC and minority groups are also eligible for the incentive. The amount includes the annual benefit of Rs 6,000 per family provided by the Centre under the PM KISAN Yojana. While the previous government’s beneficiary list included 43 lakh farmers, Rythu Bharosa is expected to cover around 51 lakh farmers, apart from nearly 3 lakh tenant farmers.The scheme also assures drilling of borewells free of cost, a calamity relief fund of Rs 4,000 crore, 9 hours of free electricity during the day, and setting up of cold storage units and food processing centres. The total budgeted outlay for YSR Rythu Bharosa in 2019-20 is Rs 8,750 crore, of which Rs 3,240 crore is coming from the Centre and the balance from the AP government.

Andhra Pradesh has become the latest state to join the bandwagon of states reposing faith in cash incentive schemes. K Chandrashekar Rao-headed Telangana government’s Rythu Bandhu scheme heralded all other cash based scheme. Launched ahead of PM Kisan, the scheme extended support of Rs 4,000 per acre for each season. The Naveen Patnaik-led government in Odisha came out with the famed, Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation or KALIA scheme in 2019-20, allocating Rs 10,000-per-year payment for two crops (kharif and rabi). The Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal and the BJP-ruled governments in Jharkhand and Haryana, also implemented the cash incentive schemes for the farmers.

Most of the governments

are fast switching to direct cash transfers to woo the farmers. With economists slamming the farm loan waiver schemes, direct cash transfers seem to be the next popular option. According to the RBI report, 2018-19 marked a “watershed”, with some states opting for income support schemes over “conventional” policies such as farm loan waivers to alleviate agricultural distress. While welcoming this move to cash transfers, it has, however, noted that they can succeed only with digitisation of land records and their linking with Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts “for ensuring timely payments to farmers, while minimizing inclusion and exclusion errors”.

India exits RCEP India made a momentous decision last year when the government opted out of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)

after a long suspense amidst protests and concerns. The farmers across the nation who have been vehemently protesting the deal, finally succeeded in thwarting a death blow to an already sagging agriculture sector. Lessons learnt from previous trade deals and the current state of agriculture economy have nudged the farmers to voice their consternations.

RCEP, a proposed free trade agreement in the Asia-Pacific region between the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) and their five FTA partners (Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea), is touted to be the world’s largest trade agreement. While the RECP opens up markets for India to other countries and vice versa, there are serious apprehensions raised by

“With Government support on the agri and rural sector and a healthy reservoir levels due to the above normal monsoon, we expect a good Rabi output in the coming months. Total tractor sales (Domestic + Exports) during November 2019 were at 21,032 units, as against 25,949 units for the same period last year and cumulative sales for the year until November 2019 is 2,17,064 down 11%.”

Mr. Rajesh Jejurikar, President, Farm Equipment Sectors, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.



primary producers such as farmers on the impact of these imports on them. Imports will be flooding the Indian markets on lowered trade tariffs and resource starved Indian farmers will be fighting the sudden deluge of cheaper foreign products. The equation was flawed from the beginning.

The impact of previous Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) on the Indian agro commodities are pointers to the fact what cheaper imports could do to Indian rural economy. The presence of China, Australia, New Zealand and Japan in RCEP would have affected sericulture, horticulture as well as floriculture in India. Another deeply affected sector is going to be the dairying segment. The RCEP would allow the dairy industry of Australia and New Zealand to compete with our dairy farmers. Both these countries are eyeing the huge market in India. It is notable that New Zealand exports 93.4 per cent of its milk powder, 94.5 per cent of its butter and 83.6 per cent of its cheese production. Removal of tariffs, which at present are 60 per cent for milk powder and 40 per cent for fats, will allow dumping of these products.

Sagging Indian EconomyMany economists have arrived at the opinion that India may have entered into stagflation. The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) contracted 3.8% in October, as against a healthy growth rate of 8.4% witnessed during the same month last year. Industrial output, it is worth noting, had shrunk by 4.3% in September. At the same time, retail inflation jumped to a 40-month high of 5.5% in November fuelled mainly by a sharp jump in food prices. Retail inflation is now in the upper band of the inflation range targeted by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) but might drop as fresh food supplies hit the market. Economic growth has declined for six consecutive quarters now, making it one of the longest downturns in recent history.

Mr. R. G. Agarwal, Chairman, Dhanuka Agritech “Agriculture and allied sectors are the backbone of the Indian economy since they account for 18% of the GDP. Despite the announcement of various favorable schemes by Government, this year the sector experienced a slow growth rate of 2.9 percent from 2014-15. The major reason being the effect of climate conditions on crop production. India’s agriculture being largely dependent on weather/ monsoon has faced multiple damages this year. Unseasonal rainfall or extended drought, both has incurred loss at the time of sowing and timely reaping from fields. The government has been supportive to farmers by launching schemes such as PM Kissan samman Nidhi to provide income support to 12.6 crore small and marginal farmers; and other initiatives like the establishment of many new bamboo, honey and khadi clusters to empower farmers. However, the effect of these climatic damages needs more prompt backing. Further, with only 25% to 30% of cultivated area coming under crop protection umbrella, advanced crop protection technologies have greater market scope.

There has been focus on adoption of newer and safer molecules, thus use of sustainable modern crop protection technologies will grow. India does not have relatively advanced pesticide technical and formulation research capabilities, and currently its manufacturing capacities are under-utilized. It needs more investment which will increase its export opportunities as well. We expect that with increased impetus from the govt sector and companies like Dhanuka Agritech, it will be able to grow better in coming year.

The new PMB 2017 is under consideration with government and while finalizing it govt. policy of ‘Ease of doing Business’ and of ‘More Governance less Government’ should be kept in mind. This is Science based industry and does not have any role of Scientists. Our registration system need to be relooked and should be made farmers friendly where he can get new technology and safer molecules of international standards. Number of fly by night operators as per the ministry of consumer affairs report 58% Agri inputs are fake and such company’s registration & license should be cancelled as Govt. has cancelled registration of more than 3 lakhs pseudo companies.”


Mounting bad loans of the public sector banks (PSBs), and frauds and scams with culprits absconding and escaping punishment due to poor handling by investigating agencies, have also reduced consumer and producer confidence. The failure of some leading non-banking financial institutions, resulting in reduced credit flows for financing economic activities, domestic investment and consumption. The fall in household incomes in rural and urban India and financial stress have reduced consumption of even necessities such as toothpaste and biscuits,

and demand for durable goods and cars and two-wheelers. The fall in domestic demand appears to be the main cause behind falling growth.

The year 2019 has been particularly a tumultuous year. From the agriculture point of view, the sector is yet to see some important policy results. Having consistently declining incomes and a sagging economy, the government has yet to deliver on its promises of achche din. When the year ends, we are facing a dull economy and slackened hopes. The year 2020 is therefore crucial.


There has been a consistent high growth in the parameters of the livestock sector. The livestock sector has been growing continuously at CAGR of 7.9 per cent since the last five years. This is just below the CAGR of manufacturing at 8.7 per cent and of services at 8.4 per cent for the last five years, in contrast to agriculture (crop sector) CAGR of 0.5 per cent. But in order to double farmers’ incomes, conventional agriculture and animal husbandry must become professional and business-oriented says Dr. Praveen Malik, Commissioner, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying in conversation with Rajni Shaleen Chopra, Executive Editor, Agriculture Today.

‘Livestock for prosperity’

INTERACTION

What is the performance of the animal husbandry and dairy sector in India?In 2017-18, agriculture (crop sector) contributed 8.7 per cent to total gross value addition (GVA) at constant prices. The livestock sector contributed 4.1 per cent to the total GVA. This is part of a worldwide trend as shown by an FAO study of 2011, wherein every rupee invested in animal husbandry gives a return of Rs 4.7, while the return on every rupee invested in manufacturing is Rs 2.9. The corresponding figure for agriculture stands at Rs 3.6 respectively. Animal husbandry is a science-based sector. It is at the junction of science and technology. Globally, India ranks first in the number of buffaloes and cows, and second in the number of goats. The

issue is – how to maximize production of these resources for the purpose of dairy. Use of Embryo transfer and IVF in dairy animals shall lead to faster breed improvement. We have a rich resource of indigenous elite animals. Strategic use of the breeding technologiesis required to upgrade nondescript population for better productivity and ensure availability of elite animals with high productivity. There has been no major change in animal numbers during this period. In 2012, cattle population stood at 190.90 million and buffalo population at 108.70 million. By 2019, the figures increased to 192.49 million (.83 %) and 109.85 million (1.06 %) respectively. The major thrust is on the breeding programs like the National Artificial Insemination (AI) program to improve performance for

important part is, where do we stand in terms of productivity? Seen in this perspective, we may be amongst the lowest in the world. This is where our role begins – how to ensure increased productivity. For this, the support of science and technology is required. In order to double farmers’ incomes, conventional agriculture and animal husbandry must become professional and business-oriented. Animal breeding research is a very important part of this sector. We have to adopt the scientific methods of selection of superior germplasm of livestock like progeny testing and pedigree selection which must become the norm at farmer level. Our constant effort is to ensure higher conception rate and fertility. In many states of the country, farmers have excellent cattle germplasm resources. The


INTERACTION

increasing production.In the 2012-13 livestock census, the country’s milk production stood at 132.4 million tons. In the 2018-19 livestock census, the production went up to 187.7 million tons. In the next five years, we are aiming for milk production of 330 million tons.

What is the department doing to address the issue of animal health?Animal health is our priority area. Poor animal health leads to both direct and indirect losses, hence disease control programs are important. The National Animal Disease Control Program is focusing on control and eradication of FMD and control of brucellosis in the country. Our target is 100 per cent FMD vaccination for all cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, pigs – all animals, whether domestic or stray. This program is fully funded by central government for all states. We also target to achieve 100 per cent Unique Identification Number (UID) for all animals for traceability which would go a long way in supporting our programmes. This shall enable us to create a central database of animals to check which animals have been vaccinated. The tagging program is on, though limitation of manpower is a challenge. Nutrition, and the fodder/feed deficit or food deficit faced by the animals another challenge faced by this sector. In order to meet this challenge, we must work for strategies to increase fodder production, creating opportunities for farmers to adopt forage production as main activity and technologies for silage making. We can also look at alternate scientific strategies like hydroponics. Balancing of ration for animals is a must, and for this, awareness is the key factor. Breeding, feeding and health – all these are significant areas for us. The obstacle that we face is that the number of animals is very high. India has a vast geography with diverse agro-climactic zones. Unlike humans, most veterinary services must be at the doorstep. Herein, the services are provided by the State.

We observe lack of awareness among most dairy farmers regarding almost all aspects of livestock husbandry. For instance, vaccination of the animal is not of high priority for them. They are not aware of bio-security – procedures or measures designed to protect the population against harmful biological or chemical agents. There is poor understanding also regarding feeding and breeding.

Can farmers develop revenue models through the use of dairy by-products?Dairy by-products are largely ignored. We have lost our connect with traditional agriculture, hence there is negligible organic composting and integrated farming. Dung can be used to prepare manure or bio-gas. We have not validated the use of cow dung and cow urine for organic farming through scientific methods and interventions. The concepts seem lucrative. They have to be proven and demonstrated through established research techniques. We now have handy portable machines for milking and minimum milk processing at the farmer’s door. These concepts should reach our farmers. The Center can provide schemes, but extension services must be implemented effectively by the States. It is essential to develop entrepreneurship and create business models in the dairy sector. Our average animal holding is small, two to three cows/buffaloes. The problem is that in small farms, it is expensive to rear the animal, which leads to low earning. The focus must be on how to make a small holding a profitable business. Organizing this sector is a major task. Till now, the target was to enable these farmers to upgrade and rise above the poverty line. The new slogan is ‘livestock for prosperity’. We have to bring in and encourage the entrepreneurship models with low input, efficient processing and quality output along with available markets.

In 2012, cattle population stood at 190.90 million and buffalo population at 108.70 million. By 2019, the figures increased to 192.49 million (.83 %) and 109.85 million (1.06 %) respectively


STRENGHTENING FARMER PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS IN INDIACHALLENGES AND WAY FORWARD

MY OPINION

Dr. Abhilaksh likhiAdditional Secretary,

Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare,

government of india

effectively. Farmer members, herein, are able to leverage their collective strength and bargaining power to access financial inputs leading to reduction of transaction costs. At the same time, they can tap high value markets and enter into partnerships with other entities on equitable terms.

An FPO is a corporate body under the Companies Act, Cooperative or Societies Act etc., and its activities could range from production, harvesting, processing, procurement, grading, marketing or exporting of primary produce. It, of course, provides sharing of profits and benefits among the members. Government of India encourages state governments to support FPO promotion under the Rastriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY). At the same time, the Small Farmers Agri Consortium (SFAC) and National Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) also promote such

One of the major challenges in India is aggregating small and marginal farmers to enable them to integrate with agricultural markets.

Some of the problems faced in this regard include absence of economies of scale, access to information and inability of such farmers to participate in the price discovery mechanism. This challenge also assumes importance due to two more reasons. First, the rising demand for quality agricultural and food products. Second, the increasing focus on the efficiency of the entire agricultural value chain to ensure remunerative prices to farmers as well as affordable prices to consumers.

Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) have been considered as an apt institutional form of aggregating small and marginal farmers that can tackle the above challenge


MY OPINION

FPOs.Experts opine that capacity

building of farmer members of FPOs is of utmost importance to strengthen backward and forward linkages for myriad value chain interventions. Some of the key areas of action include skill development, business planning, extension management,technological platforms, market intelligence and exposure visits. There are several examples of best practices that foster such capacities and linkages.

Sahyadri Farmer Producer Company in Nasik, Maharashtra is an example of an entity that has built a value chain for small and marginal farmers. It exports grapes to the European Union, Russia and UAE and does domestic sales through 13 retail shops as well. It provides technical support to 6,600 farmers apart from undertaking aggregation, grading, sorting and packaging of the produce. Interestingly, the plots of its individual farmer members are geo tagged to allow the company to keep real time update of the crop’s growth. Besides, remote monitoring makes it possible to complete traceability of farmer’s produce by embedding the related information in its bar-coded packets.

The Government of Haryana has recently launched an innovatively modelled “Crop Cluster Development Program” to give a big push to primary processing facilities in horticulture crop clusters through FPOs. These clusters have been identified by surveying and mapping villages across the state for fruit and vegetable crops. Within these clusters, integrated pack houses for sorting and grading will be managed and run by FPOs. These will be bank appraised projects with credit link subsidy. Inhouse information technology linkages through e-services and deployment of outsourced cluster/district-based project extension managers is the program’s forte.

On the other hand, the Indian

Society of Agribusiness Professionals (ISAP) is an example of a public-private partnership that extensively incubates FPOs covering five thousand villages in eleven states of the country to enhance crop productivity, provide access to quality inputs and promote value-added products. There are also Farmer Producer Companies nourished by non-governmental organizations such as PRADHAN in Madhya Pradesh in the area of backyard poultry.

The end goal of building capacities through such best practices, according to the “Doubling Farmers Income” (DFI) Committee Report, 2017 is fivefold. First, to promote range and reach of farmers into multiple markets. Second, maximize the volume of farm produce that reaches gainful end use without food loss. Third, improve inventory management in warehouses. Fourth, to promote online marketing platforms with role of the private sector. Fifth, maintain ease of business for cross border trade.

Outside the fold of FPOs, there are examples of numerous agri startups in the country such as Crofarm, Krishi Hub and Ninjacart that are using technology to introduce automated supply chain efficiencies and ensure better prices for small and marginal farmers. A distinctive feature in these agristart-ups is the use of artificial

intelligence to predict demand from the core farmer data collected and enabling them to systematically trim waste. Without doubt, their mechanisms to ensure pricing transparency, demand prediction, product traceability and supply chain optimization need to be shared widely.

The way forward entails strengthening the last mile delivery architecture for FPOs. In addition to building capacities of farmer members, experts suggest identification of FPOs with contiguous land, preferred crop types and with scope for scalable production. Wholesale buyers that develop long term buying arrangements with FPOs should be incentivized, they add.

But above all, Krishi Vigyan Kendra’s (KVKs) located in Districts as farm focal points have to forge public private partnerships. These should enable FPOs in their area to be sensitized about innovative government programs like e-NAM (National Electronic Market)and provide the necessary ecology for value chain management. This will also be an effective “bottoms up” way to build linkages with Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and access funds and incentives offered by state governments.

*Views expressed are personal


Food processing has turned into a lucrative entrepreneurship avenue in India. Given the abundance of agri commodities, India, particularly North Eastern states can excel in the field. “Every district must specialize in at least one product; at least one crop must be sent for food processing,” opines Shri Rameshwar Teli, Minister of State for Food Processing Industries to Rajni Shaleen Chopra, Executive Editor, AT in an exclusive interview.

‘Encourage privateentrepreneurship’

INTERvIEw



INTERvIEw

I have observed that at many places, government food parks are not running well. They are not performing well. We feel very disappointed to see this. So how to get the non-performing food parks back on rail? We are thinking of new ways to address this problem. Perhaps we can invite private investors. The Prime Minister has consistently said that the government does not have to get into business. We should help private entrepreneurs to boost manufacturing.Compare this to the food park run by Baba Ramdev, which is functioning very well. This is why we want to encourage entrepreneurs to set up food parks. We are also talking to private companies to set up a food park in Ladakh which shall help the farmers of the region. In north-eastern states, a number of food parks are coming up. We hope that the management at all these places will take care for the successful functioning of the food park. In Assam, the mega food park is complete. In Tripura, it is complete and has begun functioning. In Mizoram and Nagaland, the construction of the mega food park is ongoing. It has been sanctioned for Manipur and construction will begin. It has not been sanctioned for Meghalaya and Sikkim yet. There are similar support programs for other states. The Ministry of Food Processing Industries provides 75 per cent subsidy for setting up a food park in the mountain states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir. In other states in the plains like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra etc, 50 per cent subsidy is granted for setting up a food park.

What do you rate as your major challenges?India is a huge food market. We must tap its potential correctly. The PM has given the call that every district must specialize in at least one product. At least one crop must be sent for food processing. This way, farmers will get a good price and the crop will not go waste. There is need to rationalize the use of manpower in our agriculture and milk based industries, and adopt greater mechanization. I visited a dairy in Dubai which has 40,000 cows. The dairy exports milk, milk powder, ice cream and other milk products all across the world. They import grass from Argentina. I was surprised to see how industrious they are. We have an abundance of lush green grass in north-eastern states, but we have not realized its value. One of our major challenges is to encourage private entrepreneurship to realize the value of our natural resources, set up agro-processing units which shall bring them prosperity, and also help in the prosperity of the respective regions.

What is the government doing to incentivize agro food processing in the country?I am constantly amazed by the creativity of our people. Recently a woman from Arunachal Pradesh met Minister for Food Processing Industries Smt Harsimrat Kaur Badal and me, and showed us the kiwi wine made by her. She had grown organic kiwis, and we received reports that the wine was very good. We want to help entrepreneurs across the nation and give a boost to food processing units and industries. I especially invite all entrepreneurs who want to invest in food processing units to north-eastern states. All the eight north-eastern states have BJP or BJP ally governments. Entrepreneurs from all over the country will find a highly conducive environment for investment in these states.There are other incentives also. High subsidy is given by the government for the production of organic food in the north-eastern states and hill states. Through the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), we have set up a factory for the processing of pig meat. This has huge domestic and export potential. We are also setting up food parks all over the country to serve the needs of each sector. We have 42 food parks including mega food parks in India. In Pulwama, work has been going on for the last four years for a mega food park which shall cater to the local apple production. In Nizamabad in Telangana, the food park helps in the large-scale processing of local turmeric and ginger production. The farmers are benefitting from it by selling their produce directly at the food park. They are getting a higher price for their produce, which otherwise had to be sold to the commission agents. At Tumkur in Karnataka, a private food processing park is benefitting farmers who grow pineapple, turmeric, ginger and oranges. The food park run by Baba Ramdev and his followers in Haridwar is among the best in the country. Various mini food parks are functioning well in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra and other states. But much more needs to be done. Each state of the country must have a mega food park. A mega food park can be set up over 50 acres, and a mini food park over 10 acres. The government provides 35 per cent subsidy to set up food parks in the states in plains, like Bihar, Orissa etc. For mountain states, 50 per cent subsidy is provided by the government as incentive to the industry for setting up food parks.

What is the status of the food parks which were opened or are being run by the government?



GLObAL POULTRy PRODUCTIONINDIA IN PERSPECTIvE

POULTRY

with a highly organized commercial sector with about 80% of the total market share, and the other being unorganized with about 20% of the total market share. The unorganized sector also referred to

BASIC STRUCTURE OF POUlTRY SECTOR

Poultry sector in India is valued over Rs. 80,000 crore (2015-16) broadly divided into two sub-sectors – one

Prof.(Dr.)P.K.ShuklaRegistrar, Dean Post graduate

Studies & Professor, Poultry Sciences, DuVASu, Mathura

andDr.Sujit nayak,

Assistant Commissioner (AH), Department of Animal Husbandry,

Dairying & Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare,

government of india, KrishiBhavan, new Delhi,


POULTRY

Act, 2009’ is the key regulation to control important livestock and poultry diseases in the country. Compartmentalization for disease control as per OIE Standards is an important issue being dealt with by DADF to facilitate smooth trade.

Unorganised sub-sector generates additional income and improvement of nutritional status among the poorest of the poor. However until now there has been little support to this sector. Now, however, through one of the components, ‘Rural Backyard Poultry Development’ under Centrally Sponsored Scheme ‘Poultry Development’ assistance is provided to cover beneficiaries from BPL families. But this continues to be very little as compared to the demand.

A part of the unorganized sector is the Transitional Small & Marginal sub-sector: Due to Government initiatives for entrepreneurship development, small/ marginal units are now coming up. However, these can sustain only if they operate in a clustered manner.

GlOBAl PRODUCTION AND INDIAN PERSPECTIvEGlobal poultry meat production is around 107 MMT; Trade/Exports

are around 11 MMT i.e around 10% of total production. India, though ranks 5th in chicken meat production, is having only 3.3% share of the production and exports are negligible at only about 5.5 thousand tones.

Global egg production is around 1387 billion eggs / 74 MMT; Trade around 10% i.e. 7 MMT. India, again even if it stands at 3rd position in egg production, only has about 6.3% share in the global production. Exports are again very negligible with about less than a billion eggs.

Major items exported from India are table eggs, egg powder, hatching eggs, SPF eggs, live birds, and poultry meat. The current export value of Poultry Products is to the tune of around Rs. 552crore in 2017-18. However, India is way behind in exports at 32nd place as per APEDA data from 2013 to 2014. India’s share in World trade is around 0.23 percent.

The egg production in the country has increased from around 83 billion nos. in 2015-16 to around 88 billion in 2016-17 registering a growth of about 6%. The per capita availability of egg has increased from 61 in 2013-14 to 69 in 2016-17.

as backyard poultry, plays a key role in supplementary income generation and family nutrition to the poorest of the poor. It is estimated that with a poultry population of 729 million, small and medium farmers are mostly engaged in contract farming system under larger integrators and there are around 30 million farmers engaged in backyard poultry as per NSSO 66th Round Survey. The needs of organized and unorganized sectors are very different. Discussions with various stakeholders reveal that poultry sector- especially commercial poultry sector- is flourishing in certain pockets, where amenable environment exists, alongwith backward and forward linkages, while the unorganized sector is very dispersed and micro-fragmented.

Organised sub-sector needs conducive environment to grow for which policy support & intervention is required mainly for disease surveillance, Drug residue and drug/ vaccine quality control, standardization & quality control of poultry feed, eggs & meat, Application of HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) and Good Manufacturing Practices for compliance to WTO & CODEX norms and gradation, value addition, brand promotion & export boosting (about Rs. 532 crore in 2016-17)etc.

The above issues are broadly dealt with by a number of Ministries/ agencies like Export Inspection Council of India, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Bureau of Indian Standards(BIS) etc. Besides, National Institute of Animal Health under Animal Husbandry Department is dealing with quality control of vaccines and the ‘The Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases in Animals


The poultry meat production in the country has increased to nearly 3.46 million tons during the year 2016-17 from 3.26 million tonnes during the year 2015-16 again at around 6% growth rate.

GROWTH DRIvERS AND EMERGING TRENDS/ CHAllENGES

• In India, poultry sector growth may be attributed to many factors like rising incomes and a rapidly expanding middle class, together with the emergence of vertically integrated poultry producers that have reduced consumer prices by lowering production and marketing costs.

• Integrated production, market transition from live birds to chilled and frozen products, and policies that ensure supplies of competitively priced corn and soyabean are keys to future poultry industry growth in India. Further, disease surveillance, monitoring and control will also decide the fate of this sector.

• Concurrently, India’s unorganised and backyard poultry sector is also one of the potent tools for subsidiary income generation for many landless/ marginal farmers and it also provides nutritional security to the rural poor.

• These achievements and growth rates are still being sustained despite the ingress of avian influenza which was a severe setback for the industry, showing the resilience of the subsector, perseverance of the private sector and timely intervention by the Government.

• To assess the future trends, we have to review the past planning and present scenario to extrapolate the future. The externalities and variables are often unprecedented and sudden.

• As per Chatterjee and Rajkumar, 2015, in layers, the population

was 10 crore and 26 crore in 1990 and 2015 respectively. Similarly, during the period, the eggs/ hens have increased from 260 to 330; the feed automation and separate brooding have increased from 10 to 80%; feed prices have increased as well from Rs. 12 to Rs. 22 per kg; egg cleaning not considered important in 1990s has gained significance in 2015.

• Similarly, in broilers, during the period 1990 and 2015, parent stocks housed have increased from 0.7 crore to 3.4 crore and placements per month have increased 5 times; FCR improved from 2.2 to 1.6; 42 days body weight increased from 1.5 to 2.5, slaughter age reduced by 10 days to 38 and integration increased from negligible to 60 percent.

• Newer Challenges posed: Along-with challenges posed by emerging and re-emerging diseases, there are issues of animal welfare, consumer and NGO driven demands, AMR issues, environmental impact etc. which need to be addressed.

WAY FORWARD:• Going for regionalization and

recognizing more compartments as per OIE guidelines for exports

• Recent evaluation of Performance

of Veterinary Services would further help us in improving sanitary aspects

• The exercise with industry on Agri-Export Policy is going on and it is believed that it will help improve our trade position substantially.

• India should look forward to increasing scope for exports through value added products like whole egg powder, brined and pickled eggs, egg roll, egg cutlet, egg crepe and waffles, albumin flakes/ rings, yolk powder, cured and smoked chicken, chicken patties, nuggets, kababs, meat spreads, marinated breast fillet, hot-dogs, frankfurters etc.

• Encourage brand development for certain indigenous poultry like Kadaknath or other birds with some specific attributes. Low cholesterol and Omega-3 rich designer eggs are already in vogue in private sector.

• Intensify education and awareness about nutritive value of eggs and poultry through various platforms like World Egg Day etc.

• Intensify skill development in the poultry sector and reduce the gap.

• Develop Marketing Intelligence domestically and internationally in collaboration with ICAR and other Department/ agencies.

POULTRY


Haryana is today a frontrunner in the dairy sector. From being an ace producer in milk to the state with the best animal care and management, Haryana has become a glorious example in animal husbandry segment. In conversation with Rajni Shaleen Chopra, Executive Editor, Agriculture Today, Dr. Sunil Gulati, Additional Chief Secretary, Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, Haryana discusses the management practices followed in the state and the relevance of the sector in the state’s economy.

‘Haryana has a prominent place in the livestock map of the country’

sTATE sPECIAL


What has been the contribution of the livestock sector to Haryana’s economy?Haryana has a prominent place in the livestock map of the country in spite of being one of the smallest (1.3 % of total geographical area) states of India. The animal husbandry activities in the state play a pivotal role in the rural economy through a variety of contributions in the form of income generation, draft power, socio-economic upliftment, employment avenues and better nutrition to human population through livestock products like milk, eggs & meat etc. Haryana possesses 2.5% of the bovine population of the country but contributes 98.09 lakh tons of milk per year which is more than 5.56% of the nation’s total milk production. Similarly, per capita per day milk availability of the state is high at 1005 gms against the national average of 375 gms. The contribution of

this sector to the state economy is 6.1% of the Gross State Domestic Product and over 41% of AgriGSDP. The importance of this sector assumes further importance, particularly when there is a saturation level in production in the crop husbandry and the availability of cultivable land is shrinking due to urbanization and other facilities to the burgeoning human population.

Haryana has given major thrust to the provision of mobile veterinary units for animals. Why? In my view the country must shift completely to mobile veterinary units. Creating brick and mortar veterinary hospitals and dispensaries, for 70 years we have made fools of ourselves and have reached nowhere. There is a need to be realistic about the matter. The weight of a buffalo is approximately 450 to 500 kg, the weight of a cow is approximately 350 kg. When the animal is sick, it is very difficult to transport it to the hospital. Farmers have to call home either a private veterinarian or a para-veterinary practitioner. With this, there comes the immense scope for exploitation of the farmer. We should stop thinking in terms of veterinary hospitals and dispensaries and have MVUs which can reach the farmers through GPS. We are trying to shift to MVUs called Pashu Sanjeevani Sewa in Haryana, at least for the shifts when our Hospitals don’t work.

The farmers love their animals and care for them. When the animal is sick, they are ready to give any money that the vet or the para-vet demands. But very often, they are fleeced. The government must provide 100 per cent service to farmers through fully-equipped mobile veterinary vans. Policy and planning must be modified accordingly. Unfortunately, almost 90 per cent of the veterinary doctors trained by our universities and colleges are oriented towards the allopathic treatment mode. The three other vitals i.e genetics, nutrition and animal management (housing, infrastructure etc.) get ignored which in my view carry more weight than treatment. If these three are in order, especially nutrition, the animal may not fall sick. Simply by controlling these three factors, the animals can be healthier and give better returns. But farmers are not being trained to work on it. Take such

Dr.Gulati revealed that Haryana is going to reach a situation where a farmer can ask for health management services for the animal from home. The services include the following: Checking authenticity of semen straw; generation of request for artificial insemination; treatment, vaccination and deworming; animal registration, keeping track of treatment record; tagging, nutrition, insurance and loan; pregnancy check and pregnancy details; remote access to animal registration record; Pashu Kisan Credit Card; repeat breeding treatment and crisis request; stray cattle reporting for action; empowering farmers to sell Panch Gavya products; Departmental schemes, success stories of other farmers; Performance of AI workers; information regarding nearest Veterinary Hospital /Dispensary; milk adulteration self-reporting along with source of adulterated product; reporting of quackery confidentially; dead animal disposal request. Farmers can also avail services of various other agencies like participation in competitions request; past competition details of competing animals. They have access to services like Expert Chat, Call Centres and Pashu Sanjeevni Sewa (MVU).

sTATE sPECIAL


a basic need as water. Milk is 85 per cent water. But we keep our animals tied, and water is not available to them ad lib – as much and as often as desired. All over the world, the standard practice is that animals have free access to water. They can drink as much as they want, when they want. In the majority of animal shelters in our country, this is not the case. This was one of the things I learnt from Mr Verghese Kurien, known as the ‘Father of the White Revolution’ in India. We have to change the system of making water available to the animal. The drying up of village ponds and subsequent urbanization have further compounded this problem. Where village ponds are left, sewage water flows into them, making them unusable for the animals. Buffalos are water animals. Earlier, animals used to be allowed to go to the village pond daily. The animal would quench its thirst, and it was also entertained. The way a domesticated dog loves to go for a walk and jumps with joy, cows and buffaloes are happy with the leisurely walk too. Now, we keep the animals tied all day. The change it causes in the animal has not been documented. But if the animal is not happy, its productivity will go down.

What are the strides made by Haryana in the field of animal genetics?We have made significant progress now, but it is worrisome the amount of time we lost as a nation in benefitting from the science of animal genetics. We have been undertaking artificial insemination in India since 1970. The major failure was – we did not record the impact of semen used for a particular dam, the productivity of the calf. As a result, we have little scientific evidence of our best animals. Contrast this with European countries and Brazil. Brazil

took 7,000 cows from India in 1897. They developed 17 crore Indigenous cows from that stock, and kept meticulous records. Today, the Indian breeds in Brazil yield over 50 kg of milk/day. The highest yield has been recorded at 57 kg/day. In India, the peak yield of the same breed is 15 to 20 kg/day. The average yield is 8 kg, and sometimes only 2 to 3 kg for local breeds.Even through the years of natural breeding, Brazil kept records of sire, dam and calf productivity. In the years to come, perhaps we can reach the level perfected by Brazil. Now, we have made such records compulsory in Haryana through the Haryana Animal Registration Certification and Breed Regulation Act 2019. This Act is path-breaking. If every state adopts it, it will take milk production in the country to another level.For three generations of cattle in ten years, we shall have district-wise herd registers for every breed, and also digital records. When a farmer will buy an animal, he shall be able to ascertain the authentic details, and

not buy on mere hearsay. This shall be a game-changer and help doubling of income of Animal Breeders. We have already issued over 27000 Animal Registration Certificates.

Tell us about Haryana’s research and development in the field of animal nutrition.Ayurved tells us, ‘bhojanamkhaluaushdham’. Food itself is medicine. This applies to animals too. In 2018, we sent a team of 50 veterinary doctors to the Institute of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology, Bengaluru, to learn the skills of ayurved for animals. After these vets became master trainers, they further trained over 4000 vets, para vets and gaushala workers on using ayurved for animals. The results have been very positive. Now, the first instinct of the vet when he sees a sick animal is not to take out a syringe. He examines what he can do to treat the animal using proper diet and ayurvedic herbal preparations, and allopathy is used as a last resort. The animal cannot speak out against a wrong injection or any wrong intervention. With the use of right herbs, the animal will not be harmed.

What are the measures taken for health management of cattle in Haryana? We realized that it was very important that an OPD record be prepared for each animal. The person from the family who may take the animal to the doctor each time may keep changing, but the doctor must have a record of the animal’s health. We introduced the OPD record system for each animal in Haryana about eight months ago. We have also introduced the Har Pashu Ka Dhyan app. We now have back-end records for 52 lakh bovines in the state. These include the photographs of the bovines and their complete details.

Haryana possesses 2.5% of the bovine

population of the country but contributes 98.09 lakh tons milk per year

which is more than 5.56% of the nation’s total milk production. Similarly, per capita

per day milk availability of the state is high at 1005 gms against the

national average of 375 gms. The contribution of this sector to the state economy is 6.1% of the Gross State Domestic

Product and over 41% of AgriGSDP

sTATE sPECIAL


REJOICE RURAL INDIATHROUGH AGRI-TOURISM

AGRI ENTREPRENEURsHIP

There is still a cheerful economic story. It’s not about declining of GDP or increasing unemployment. It is all

about growth and development. A recent study by the World Economic Forum provides some succor. It says India’s tourism sector is doing better than before, with the country’s ranking climbing six slots to the 34th position. This achievement is mainly bagged by the existing rich natural and cultural resources.

Nowadays, tourism has emerged as one of the key enablers of growth worldwide. The contribution of tourism to global GDP was $ 2.75 trillion (2018), accounting for 10.4 per cent of global GDP. Globally, one in five of all jobs created across the world during the last five years was in tourism with nearly 319 million jobs or 10 per cent of total employment in 2018 (WTCC Report 2019). India also has emerged as tourism powerhouse over the recent years and is the 8th largest

country (2018) in terms of contribution to travel and tourism GDP. Tourism as an industry occurs at destination areas – areas with different natural and/or man-made features, which attract non local visitors (or tourists) for a variety of activities. Later, tourism enrolled into different types and among those agri-tourism is new evolving concept. According to World Tourism Organization (1998), “Agri-tourism involves accommodation being offered in the farmhouse or in a separate guest house, providing meals and organizing guests’ activities in the observation and participation in the farming operations”.

Agri-tourismVisiting farms and ranches to experience agriculture a n d

celebrate harvests is an age- old tradition. Agri-tourism includes a variety of activities and services such as accommodation, food and beverage, events, festivals, nature contemplation, you-pick (harvest), educational and leisure visits, hunting, fishing and sale of gifts. Agri-tourism was considered in many locations to be a low-risk, low-investment strategy as farms utilized their existing resources. It can stimulate rural economies through the multiplier effect and the benefits will be shared amongst diverse businesses within the community. If developed sustainably, agri-tourism could increase the long-term potential for higher profit margins for farm



products and services, particularly for small farms in crisis and support entrepreneurship.

BackgroundFarm and ranch stays continued to be popular in the U.S. and in many European countries. The term “agri-tourism” used in the U.S. originated from the Italian National Legal Framework for Agri-tourism passed in 1985. This law encourages overnight farms stays, or agri-turismo, as a way for Italian farmers to diversify their income so they can maintain farming practices, landscapes, and agricultural buildings. Agri-turismo has become increasingly popular in Tuscany, Italy, and many other places around the globe, where agri- tourism and culinary tourism complement each other.

In India about 141 million hectares of net sown area spread over various agro-climatic conditions, offer a wide variety of habitat.

Tourists seek unique and authentic experiences, personalized attention and activities tailored to their needs and interests. Nowadays, urban people are seeking leisure with free environment. It can be accomplished with agri-tourism. The seeds of agri-tourism in India were first sown by the formation of Agri-tourism Development Corporation, India (ATDC, India), and is located at Malegaon, Baramati in Maharashtra. It was founded in 2004 by Shri Pandurang Taware, an entrepreneur and descendant of a farming community. ATDC is a company that facilitates agricultural tourism in Maharashtra, and promotes it as a means of diversifying business opportunities and securing a viable livelihood for the farmers. Following a phase of research and an initial pilot programme in a village of Baramati district in 2005, ATDC has grown to a substantive size with 500 trained farmers and 152 agri-tourism locations across the

state of Maharashtra. Since its inception, farmers across the state have gained a 25 per cent growth in their income.

ATDC offers farmers agri-tourism training programmes which equip them with the technical and professional knowledge needed to establish farm-centric tourism ventures. It advocates a policy of employing local youth at its agri-tourism guides and specifically contracts women for food preparation services through organized Women Self Help Groups.

ATDC has established close links with the state government, and has been successful in arranging a preferential loan policy for the agri-tourism farmers from the Pune District Central Cooperative Bank. According to ATDC survey in 2014 , 2015 and 2016, 0.40 million, 0.53million and 0.70 million tourists had visited these centers respectively and


generated 35.79 million Indian rupees to farmer’s family, as well as jobs to women and youth in the rural communities through 152 agri-tourism locations.

In Punjab, Harkirat alias ‘farm stay man’ who started agri-tourism on a small scale in 2007, had not only expanded his own venture but is all set to provide consultancy and even a franchise model for other agriculturists to get into this entrepreneurial sector. He believed that agri-tourism needs a further boost so that people from urbanized areas had a feel of rural life -- and stressed farmers will get another source of income. At their farm-stay, guests get to try their hand at how farming was actually done in the agrarian state. They can sow, pluck fruits, plough the fields, milk cows, drive a tractor and take a ride to a nearby forest and rivulet in a tractor-trolley. In their farm stays guests and their children were given the experience of being a

farmer over the weekend or during holidays. Fresh, home-cooked food was prepared on earthen stoves, home-grown organic vegetables and warm hospitality added up in equal measure to make the experience a refreshing one for them. Likewise, in the States of Kerala, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Gujarat, agri-tourism is functioning but not in well-established manner. Even some of the private organizations are running the agri- tourism enterprise in these states.

Problem exists in Agri-tourismGovernment of India has come up with a vision of doubling farmer’s income by 2022. However, economic indicators do not show equitable and egalitarian growth in the income of the farmers (DFI report, 2018). To supplement and enhance the income of farmers, agri-tourism is a suitable proposition, but there are no well-developed policies and guidelines for agri-

tourism in India. Even for a talented farmer and small businessman, there are some significant barriers to start an agri-tourism and also to know about the customer expectations regarding agri-tourism.

Transition from traditional agriculture to agri-tourism can be quite a challenge. One major challenge is successfully creating the products and services (bundle of benefits) that customers (tourists) want. Increase in disposable income and shortened working days drive demand for leisure activities. The increasing demand also contributes to the success of agri-tourism. As more people stay in large and crowded urban centers, tourists look to rural destinations to escape from everyday life, a‘‘refuge from modernity”. Interest in heritage, tradition, authenticity, and rural lifestyle among the urban dwellers also encourage tourists to visit these rural areas.

According to Bramwell and Lane



(2012), possible challenges for the success of agri- tourism include risk management and liability issues, a lack of knowledge concerning management matters for small enterprises, community objections to some forms of agri- tourism and no guarantees of return for the investment of finances and time. A problem faced by farmers who are trying to diversify into agri-tourism is that the development of tourism on farms is not supported by sufficient subsidies by the government, which, in turn, might lead to the reluctance of farmers to invest as the benefits of gaining an income are not guaranteed.

Developing of Sustainable Agri-tourismAgri-tourism is a type of tourism taking place within the framework of sustainable tourism development. It has largely emerged due to the decline of agriculture in many rural communities, which has compelled them to search for alternative ways to seek economic growth. Agri-tourism is seen as a development option in marginalised areas with the potential to bring economic benefits and improve the living conditions of the local community.

A universal understanding

of agri-tourism is needed for clear communication, reliable and consistent measurement, informed policies, and programs that support farms and ranches and their communities. If properly exploited, through policy interventions, integrated with each other, then these activities may represent not only a business opportunity for individual agri-tourism income, but also a good mechanism to support the development of rural areas by promoting new farm-related activities, new professional profiles and new forms of employment. Policies directly targeting agri-tourism are important, but they are only one side of the coin; the other is made by regional development policies, which are equally important. Regional policies focus on a better exploitation of local resources and the strengthening of endogenous potentialities, an appropriate infrastructure network and essential services to visitors in a specific region and important to increase agri-tourism income.

Agri-tourism StakeholdersFarmers turn their farm lands into a destination and open their doors to the public in order to teach more about what they do. Simultaneously, they can get good income and their

farm produce also fetches some value. This highlights the innovative character of agri- tourism, which attracts a new generation of farmers and offers good opportunities for the development of youth activities in rural areas.

Participating in agricultural operations, swimming, bullock cart riding, camel riding, buffalo riding, cooking and participating in the rural games are few activities to quote, for those seeking something alien to their own life system. Most of the Indian urban population can still boast of their agrarian background, only a generation or two away and agri-tourism is an opportunity to reconnect with their antecedents.

Agri-tourism is complementary to traditional agricultural activities. It is an opportunity for farmers to use the available resources in a diversified and innovative way. It holds the potential of creating a win – win situation to farmers as well as tourists. Developing agri-tourism models will provide varied experiences for customers. Consequently, the strength of agri-tourism lies in its capacity to generate large scale employment and additional income for the skilled and unskilled. It generates employment to a part of rural population. Agri-tourism can create awareness and knowledge among urban people about rural life and agriculture science as practiced. It provides a healthy alternative and opportunity for hands-on experience for urban people. Finally, through this, gap between the farmers and urban people could be alleviated. At last it emphasizes strongly the targeting position of ‘Come, pluck a fruit, smell a flower, run in the fields, lie on the hay and be lost in rural India’.

S.Sarath, Ph.D. Scholar (Agribusiness Management),

tamil nadu Agricultural university, Coimbatore-



NATURE’SMIRAClERAISING FOOD, THE HYDROPONIC WAY

sUCCEss sTORY

The vision to always innovate and adapt to the future needs of our customers and the compelling need to

grow vegetables in a pollution free and sustainable environment led to the genesis of Natures’ Miracle. The vision inspired them to travel, research and train with the world’s leading authority in hydroponics in the Netherlands. The rising pollution levels in air, soil, and water in India, necessitated development of

safe and sustainable food growing practices. The 2-hectare glasshouse complex at Nature’s Miracle at Greater Noida farm is the example of their commitment to create and promote healthy living through healthy eating. “Since our inception in 2016, the team at Nature’s Miracle is constantly honing its skills at optimized farming in Indian conditions. This involves constantly synchronizing the traditional Indian know-how about agriculture and the highly advanced technology

developed by the Dutch. Our well-qualified team of agriculturists, who have undergone expert training in the Netherlands, are in-charge of all growing activities at our all glass greenhouse, growing nutritious and delicious fruits and veggies in a fully automated environment enhanced by their watchful eyes,” says Mr. Ravi Kumar, Co-Founder Nature’s Miracle.

Relying on hydroponics, the team believes in feeding the plant.Without the use of regular soil, delicious


sUCCEss sTORY

fruits and veggies are grown in high porosity mediums like coco peat. In fully automated temperature-controlled greenhouse, hydroponic vegetables and fruits are given favourable conditions and individual climatic conditions. Hydroponics is a subset of hydro-culture and is a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions in water. Plants are grown with their roots in a highly-absorbent inert medium such as perlite, rockwool and cocopeat as a seed base instead of soil. Since soil is not used in hydroponics, it prevents the plants from any soil-borne diseases. It is important to understand that in hydroponics, the plants are fed with the exact amount of natural nutrients which it needs. Hydroponic farms require much lesser space when compared to traditional forms of growing. With hydroponics, plants grow 200% faster on any plot of land. Hydroponic farms can be set up even in barren and infertile lands. Also, it uses almost 90% less water than organic farming since the excess water, not used by the crop, is recycled (disinfection by UV) and again given to the plant. Therefore, hydroponics helps in conserving the

two most important resources i.e., soil and water on the planet from depletion. From cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, candy tomatoes, sweet peppers, and to strawberries, various fruits and vegetables are grown here using this technology. Unfortunately, at present hydroponics is in a very nascent stage in India, and there are very few farmers who can understand or afford such capital intensive methodology. However, with more advancement and indigenization of equipment, farmers will definitely start adopting this marvellous technique soon. There are subsidies from Government for Green-houses farming and drip

irrigation system for farmers but it’s not limited to hydroponics only.

Premium products need premium stores, so tying up with Le Marche was the obvious choice as it is also owned by the DS Group. Since it was already established as a premium food store brand for the past decade, being launched at the store was a natural choice. Packaging has also been designed carefully to maintain freshness and educate the customer about nutritive content without hampering product visibility or portability. Other popular food retail chains such as the Big Bazaar group, as well as Food hall across Delhi NCR also showcase these products.Today they also supply to Mumbai, Zirakpur, Jalandhar, Chandigarh, Haldwani, Dehradun, Bhopal, Indore, Lucknow & Kanpur on a daily basis. Even five star hotels in Delhi NCR and premium restaurants and few QSR’s also subscribe to their products in bulk. “We offer customized solutions to them, while they focus on crafting the finest experiences for their customers powered by our products. Having assured excellent product quality, we have made it our business to professionally match


sUCCEss sTORY

steps with Hotels and restaurants diligent teams to supply the products seamlessly as and when required,” says Ms. Anchal Kumar, partner, Nature’s Miracle.

Nature’s Miracle has organized a number of promotional events to introduce its venture and hydroponic technology. These include greenhouse visits and cook-ups by celebrity chefs, stalls at school and college festivals, exhibitions at various food and lifestyle forums etc. Committed to creating a systemic change from mind-set to attitude of buying and consumption patterns, the brand has worked hard to educate both the retail sector as well as the end consumer about this technology. Delhi Vegan Fest in HausKhas on the 29th October 2017 in HausKhas targeted the premier section of clientele, expats and diplomats who are more familiar with the idea of food as medicine. It also educated customers about Hydroponics. World Food Fest on 5 November 2017 was a B2B event targeting retail chains as well as other competitors. Society Premier League -April and May 2018 saw a number of stalls put up at Delhi NCRs premium residential societies in collaboration with the RWAs. Not only did this create awareness about the brand and the technology used, but created connections with a large number of clientele across multiple locations. Asia Food Logistica Exhibition in Hong Kong on 5th September 2018 introduced the brand to new business opportunities.Between November 18- Feb19 movie goers across multiple PVR movie hall locations in Delhi were introduced to the concept of snack veggies as a healthier alternative to burgers and traditional movie snacks. The Brand Launch in March 2019 was an experiential delight for a premier guest list of the

capital’s elite. A celebrity cook up by chefs Manish Malhotra and Vicky Ratnani at the glasshouse enabled guests to literally taste the difference of food created fresh ‘off the vine’.

“It might not be wrong to call hydroponics the second green-revolution of India. Not only India, the whole world is experiencing an upsurge in the number of hydroponic farms provided the kind of benefits this form of growing has been giving. The benefits of hydroponics are vast,” opines Mr. Kumar. .

MRC, expects the global hydroponics market to grow from $226.45 million in 2016 to reach $724.87 million by 2023. And it is reported to be growing at a furious pace of 18.1% CAGR (compounded average rate of growth). Today when the world is alarmed about the increasing global temperature, agriculture remains the most affected by its consequences. Climate change affects agriculture in number of ways such as high average temperatures, unseasonable rainfalls and hailstorms, and changes in atmospheric CO2. Hydroponics, where the plants are grown in controlled climate conditions, hence is the most sustainable form of growing and can be called the future of agriculture. Hydroponics has also become increasingly popular among space scientists. Many space research organizations are interested in using hydroponics as the major method of growing in space as it prevents from the mentioned issues.

There are also certain challenges associated with hydroponics. Hydroponics needs highly skilled growers to understand plants’ need and maintenance. Consumers are not aware of the techniques and the benefits of consuming hydroponically raised food.

Nature’s Miracle has organized a number of promotional events to introduce its venture

and hydroponic technology. These

include greenhouse visits and cook-ups by celebrity chefs, stalls at school and college festivals, exhibitions

at various food and lifestyle forums etc


Mssrf@30 ConferenCe a report

Marking thirty years of the organisation, the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) organised

a three day international conference, “From 30 Years to 2030: Achieving Sustainable Development Goals and Strengthening Science for Climate Resilience”,at its headquarters in Chennai from 7-9 August 2019.

The conference attracted a cross-section of nearly 200 stakeholders from the scientific research community and academia, civil society organisations, donor agency representatives and policy makers. Dr. Bruce Alberts, Chancellor’s Leadership Chair in Biochemistry and Biophysics for Science and Education, University of California; Ambassador Kenneth Quinn, President, World Food Prize Foundation, USA; Ms.Kundhavi Kadiresan, Assistant Director General (ADG) and Regional Representative for the Asia Pacific of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations; Dr.Trilochan Mohaptatra, DG, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research & Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare,

Government of India; Dr.Renu Swarup, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Government of India; Dr. Peter Carberry, DG, ICRISAT; Dr.Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist, UN World Health Organisation and Professor M S Swaminathan, Founder, MSSRF were among the many dignitaries who participated in the deliberations at the conference.

In addition to three technical sessions, there was a session where young researchers got an opportunity to pose questions and interact with Professor Swaminathan and a session to recognise and felicitate farm men and women from Koraput and Wayanad who have been conserving traditional crop varieties as ‘Genome Saviours’. On the sidelines, there was a poster exhibition documenting MSSRF’s 30 year journey, showing the key landmarks and achievements, a farmers’ pavilion where farmer producer companies promoted by MSSRF displayed and sold their products, a poster exhibition space highlighting MSSRF’s work around the three technical themes deliberated at the conference and an exhibition of some of the awards and accolades received by Professor Swaminathan

over the years. The inaugural session of the

conference was chaired by Professor M S Swaminathan, and Ms.Kundhavi Kadiresan delivered the keynote address. Mr. Eric Kenefick, Deputy Country Director, UN World Food Programme, Dr. Siebe Schuur, Agricultural Counsellor accredited in India and Sri Lanka, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Ambassador Kenneth M Quinn were the other speakers in the session. The session set the tone for the sessions to follow with the message that business as usual cannot continue and that only by working together can we achieve the SDG goals and realise a ‘healthier, more equitable and climate resilient future’.

The three technical sessions at the conference were on Climate Change and Coastal Zone Management, Science and technology to secure and sustain small holder farmers’ livelihood and nutrition & health security and Biodiversity for food, nutrition, health and climate resilience.The keynote address on climate change and coastal zone management was delivered by Dr. Shailesh Nayak, Director, National Institute of Advanced Studies and

REPORT


REPORT

Distinguished Scientist, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Govt. of India, that on livelihood and nutrition and health security of small farmers was delivered by Dr. Peter Carberry, DG, ICRISAT and that on biodiversity by Dr. Rasha Omar, Country Director, IFAD. The key recommendations from each of the three technical sessions are summarised below under the heads – Research, Outreach and Advocacy

TECHNICAl SESSION I: ClIMATE CHANGE AND COASTAl ZONE MANAGEMENT

RESEARCH• Economic evaluation of different

ecosystems is necessary to understand the value of the ecological services provided by each.

• Develop coastal biodiversity information system and coastal climate services

• Suitable models to understand sea level rise and its impact on coastal ecosystems at the decentralised level

• Systematic studies on the impact of rise in ocean temperatures on coral reef associated fisheries at different depths and tourism

• 3D modelling and vulnerability maps of the coast

• Continuous mapping of shore line • Prediction models for pelagic

fisheries • Integrate coastal knowledge with

social and human systems• Develop a policy paper based on

meta analysis on coastal resource use, governance, livelihoods, research and management as well as sustainable use of resources

OUTREACH• Revive traditional farming of rice

and shrimp where feasible • Harness ICT based tools to

help vulnerable fishers; the Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) system and Indian Regional

Navigation Satellite System (NAVIC) tools being tested by the government will provide connectivity from the deep sea with the mainland

• Design adaptive and mitigation strategies for sustainable development, fill gaps in livelihood capital and strengthen capacity of the coastal community

• Develop action plans with achievable targets, multi-stakeholder approach with strong partnership and investments to reduce the impacts of climate change vulnerability along the coast.

ADvOCACY• Conservation of all coastal

ecosystems is crucial in the context of ecological and livelihood security

• Advocacy for policy to deal with impact on coastal areas due to climate change is needed

• There is no CGIAR institute or other international institute working with focus on the coastal ecosystem). To address the need for integrated coastal zone management studies, an “International Centre for Excellence for Sustainable Development and Management of Coastal Ecosystems” led by MSSRF maybe established, for the benefit of vulnerable coastal

zones and communities across the globe

TECHNICAl SESSION II: SCIENCE AND TECHNOlOGY TO SECURE AND SUSTAIN SMAll HOlDER FARMERS’ lIvElIHOOD AND NUTRITION & HEAlTH SECURITY

RESEARCH• Development of short duration

crop varieties • Conservation agriculture and devel-

op appropriate institutional mecha-nism to harness technologies of scale for small holder farmers

• Seasonal climate forecasting for effective risk management

• Strategies for retention of necessary soil moisture

• Contextualize factors that shape women’s role in agriculture work in different settings

• Large scale studies should include qualitative methodologies with smaller sample size

• Studies on the right balance to ensure both ecological and economic sustainability with social sustainability

• Develop eco-enterprise models for promotion at scale

• Research on sustaining collective action through appropriate institutional structures and processes among small holders

Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra, DG, ICAR addressing the gathering as chair of Technical Session II


• Farming system for nutrition models for different agro-ecological zones

OUTREACH• Attention to social mobilization

and use of learner centric capacity building methods and processes while designing livelihood related programmes

• Appropriately harnessing ICT like use of mobiles apps as decision making tools and also to disseminate the locale specific and demand driven information related to technologies and associated services

• Watershed approaches – sustaining the initiatives at the local level in partnership with local communities and institutions

• Promotion of crop diversity, mixed farming for diet diversity and increasing income

• Promotion of nutrition gardens of fruits and vegetables

• Nutrition Awareness strategies across the board on diet diversity and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) practices.

• Thrust on value addition and decentralised processing to increase incomes

• Appropriate strategies in the context of small holders to promote adoptive decision making in technology adoption with handholding support (as a part of

extension services)• Programmes should consider

system stability while planning and implementing

ADvOCACY• Farming System for Nutrition (FSN)

approach for household food and nutrition security of small holder farmers

• Greater policy support for nutrient dense crops

• Nutrition awareness strategies to focus on improving diet diversity

• Technologies suitable to strengthen the on-farm and non-farm livelihoods of small holders together with access to other productive resources and services like market and credit

• Promotion of decentralised processing units to promote inclusive agri-food value chains

• Necessary institutional support (credit, infrastructure support etc) for technology upgradation of small businesses

TECHNICAl SESSION III: BIODIvERSITY FOR FOOD, NUTRITION, HEAlTH AND ClIMATE RESIlIENCE

RESEARCH• Research, innovation and value

chain development in Neglected and Underutilized species (NUS)

• Research on Nutrient value of

different indigenous plants/foods• Research and action to be taken to

integrate NUS in farming systems

OUTREACH• Networking and partnerships for

effective utilization of biodiversity in the face of climate change.

• Capacity building of women farmers on conservation linked value chains and appropriate technology development

• Promote conservation and consumption of wild foods

• Generate awareness with respect to biodiversity conservation and its sustainable utilization and the national and international conventions/Acts.

ADvOCACY• Promotion of nutri-dense

plant varieties, Neglected and Underutilised crops and Crop wild relatives in Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture and Climate adaptation strategies

• Conservation of functional biodiversity especially the microbial biodiversity in the farms

• Strategies to conserve the wild relatives of cultivated plants both with in-situ and ex-situ measures

• Recognizing Custodian Farmers in the context of Climate change

• Support for Community Based Initiatives on Conservation

• Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture and Sustainable Development requires convergence and State support for wider adoption and scale-upThe concluding session on

9th August had a cross-section of researchers, policy makers and international leaders sharing their thoughts on what they felt should be the focus areas of work, going forward. Professor M S Swaminathan, Founder MSSRF, in his concluding remarks called for having a ‘Nutrition Secure India’ by 2030 as our goal and the urgent need for all stakeholders to work together to realize this goal.

R V Bhavani, MSSRFConference participants

REPORT


VEDICAGRICULTURE

REPORT



The Vedic farmers knew the methods of improving the fertility of the soil by what may be called the method of

rotation. It is an important principle in practical agriculture that the same crop should not be grown in a field successively every season but that it should be grown only once in the course of two or more crop season in rotation with other crops which will occupy the field in these seasons. There are several advantages of following this practice.

Different crops have different root system both in depth and in lateral development; some are very deep rooted, others shallow rooted and some spread much in all directions and other have roots crowding close below the base of the plants. This difference in the habit of the root system leads to the absorption of plant foods from different depths or zones and the successive growing of the same crop year after year on the same field would lead to the impoverishment of particular depths, whereas the growing of crops with different roots system in alternate year would lead to a more even utilization of the plant foods resources in the soil. The growing of the same crop without rotation would for the same reason eventually make the soil unsuitable for the crop. The alternating of a shallow with a deep rooted crop may be regarded as a method of recuperation for the soil depths or zones concerned. This fact is utilized in practice in the system of mixed cropping also where deep-rooted crops like cotton, tur, avare, etc. are grown in association with shallow –rooted grain crops like jowar, ragi or millets

The plant foods are husbanded better in a rotation , because the predominant plant food requirements of different crops are different , some taking up more of

one kind of plant food than another. A process of one sided depletion may therefore take place , unless a change of crops or rotation is practiced.

Pest and diseases peculiar to any one crop tend to be perpetuated, leading to serious damage and crop reduction when only the same crop is grown without rotation in fact in the case of many crop diseases and pests the only remedy possible or practical is rotation of crop i.e. to stop growing the particular crop for two or more seasons in the field concerned.

In reality there is no conflict between human beings and the cattle population in the agriculture sector. The cattle put in the labour

REPORT

and help to produce foodgrains from the produce. The foodgrains are consumed by human beings and the stalks of the crop though useless for human beings are consumed by the cattle. However, the stalk consumed by the cattle is converted into dung within twenty-four hours and it helps in sustaining the fertility of the soil thus continuing the chain unbroken and undamaged.

But the five years plans have created a grave conflict in the agriculture sector. On the one hand, the five year plans have sought to remove the cattle from the field of agriculture and on the other, they have formulated plans for rearing cattle which sowed the seeds of conflict between the human beings and cattle. Since animals reared for slaughter have to be fed foodgrains instead of stalk of the foodgrains. However the foodgrains production in our country is not enough for the needs of human beings as well as for animals reared for slaughter.

Satyam Chauriha ,Dr.Satypal Singh Dr. Chandramani tripathi , Kamlashankar Shukla, Dr.govind

Verma tulsi Krishi Vigyan Kendra

Chitrakoot (u.P.)



MY PAGE

FOOD FRONT FOR INDIA

Dr. Sudhir Kochhar ARS (Retd.) Ex-iCAR

Agrobiodiversity and iPR [email protected]

Attend to Sustainable Development and Farmers’ Welfare Agenda in the 2020s

among the developing countries in terms of developing its biodiversity and sui generis protection of plant varieties and farmers’ rights (PPV&FR) Acts in early 2000s, which provide them legal foothold for both; sustainability and development. Thereafter, many developing countries view India as their role model in this context.

A transformational leap was taken by the country on August 15, 2015 when the Union Agriculture Ministry was renamed by Hon’ble Prime Minister as the “Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare”. This was primarily to take care of welfare needs of the agrarian households. Since then,the government has never looked back.Policies and schemes were framed and implemented to ensure farmers’ welfare on a high priority. But awareness and procedural clarity are lacking even after more than four years for farmers to reap the best benefits.

A recent parliament question published on December 2, 2019 in the Hindu newspaper,

India among other nations is committed to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs) by 2030 so that the world is transformed for a better future of humankind. Agriculture, beside health,

industry and trade, is a key sector upon which the sustainable development agenda is anchored. The beginning of 2020s this month calls for decade long focused actions to promote agriculture and farmers’ welfare for achieving the SDGs.

Agriculture in the developing world has been a last resort occupation of marginalized farming households to make their livelihoods. But, an increasing complexity of regulations under the world trade regime has posed further challenges before them. Also, waning safeguards of farmers’ traditional privileges and equitable rights under the new international agreements and conventions since 1990s have had serious effects on sustainable development.

However, India emerged as a champion


MY PAGE

for example, illustrates the prevailing complexity and confusion. It sought to know,‘Who is a farmer? What is the definition of a farmer and how many farmers are there in India by that definition?’The question also posed whether any survey had been conducted to find out the number of farmer families. The news item also points out that any such ambiguity could have serious implications for the design and beneficiaries of all schemes meant to help farmers, including the flagship scheme PM-KISAN (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi).

Agricultural statistics, including the number of landholdings,is published annually by the Union Agriculture Ministry. Also, according to Census 2011, there are 11.8 crore cultivators and 14.4 crore agricultural workers in the country.Union Government provides income support via PM-KISAN scheme to all farmer families who own cultivable land.A concern is that benefit of the scheme would not reach the farmers who do not own the land. The news also mentions that; evading any existing definition of a farmer and instead stating that agriculture is a State subject could be misleading.

Well, there are at least two authentic definitions of farmers already available in the Indian legal and policy domains. First, the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Right Act, 2001 under its section 2(k) defines ‘farmer’ as “any person who- (i) cultivates crops by cultivating the land himself; or (ii) cultivates crops by directly supervising the cultivation of land through any other person; or (iii) conserves and preserves, severally or jointly, with any person any wild species or traditional varieties or adds value to such wild species or traditional varieties through selection and identification of their useful properties;”.

Second, the National Policy for Farmers, 2007, states that“… the term ‘Farmer’ will refer to a person actively engaged in the economic and/or livelihood activity of growing crops and producing other primary agricultural commodities and will include all agricultural operational holders, cultivators, agricultural laborers, sharecroppers, tenants, poultry and livestock rearers, fishermen, beekeepers, gardeners, pastoralists, non-corporate planters and planting labourers, as well as persons engaged in various

farming related occupations such as sericulture, vermiculture and agro-forestry. The term will also include tribal families/ persons engaged in shifting cultivation and in the collection, use and sale of minor and non-timber forest produce.”

These two definitions were given to respectively deal with; (i) equitable and exclusive rights of farmers over their genetic resources and intellectual property, and (ii) welfare rights of farmers as enshrined in the Constitution of India/ Directive Principles of State Policy, and pronounced by Union of India. It is important to note that the exclusive rights are negative rights due to which taking prior permission/license from farmers for using their genetic resources in breeding essentially derived varieties is mandatory. Whereas in order to help farmers duly realize their welfare rights, both State (Union of India) and citizens are equally duty-bound.

The 2007 policy on farmers had emphasized the need to substantially increase the net income of farmers coverable under that comprehensive definition,and develop support services for them, but there was long delay on the implementation side.


Nevertheless, a spate of new reforms came under the new government, after 2014-15. Many new, pragmatic farmers’ welfare policies and schemes have been announced/ implemented by the Union Government, which are potentially capable of achieving SDGs @agriculture sector.

Historically, welfare measures for farmers have been taken in India from time to time. According to ICAR, a beginning of canal irrigation100-150 years ago in pre-independence era in Cauvery Delta, Punjab, Agra and Awadh,when droughts and famines had plagued the country, was the foremost government policy action which brought disruptive benefits to Indian agriculture. Until mid-1900s,extension in canal irrigation may be treated as a major farmers’ welfare measure. However, it could not boost a countrywide foodgrain production, which stagnated at an insignificant 0.11 per cent annual growth rate.A corresponding population growth rate in that period was 1.5 per cent annually.

Post-independence, there was major emphasis on multipurpose dams, which expanded the canal irrigation system and also provided power for tube wells. Waste land too was reclaimed for agriculture.

As a result, up to mid-1960s, despite reliance on traditional (pre-green revolution) technology annual increase in foodgrains production (2.8%) overtook the population growth rate (~2.1%). Use of tractors for agricultural operations also significantly contributed to increase in agriculture production and multi-cropping. Small farmers too got benefits of custom-ploughing by tractors.

A self-explanatory, unprecedented, disruptive technology-cum-inputs driven success of green revolution in India between mid 1960s and 1980s is already well documented and well known to farmers. This was made possible only with a system-wide push of technology development, testing, adoption and diffusion coupled with favorable government policy on procurement of the foodgrains produce at a pre-declared minimal support price (MSP). The Union Government, Agriculture Ministry, Technocrats, Bureaucrats, Agriculture Scientists and the Farmers themselves cohesively played their part with due diligence.

Yet, experience over the time showed that development triggered by green revolution was not‘sustainable’. Within less than half a century,

farmers were already burdened with the alarming post green revolution effects on soil health, ground water levels and biodiversity. Further, since the mid 1980s,a beginning of increasingly complex international regulatory regimes in genetic resources, biodiversity, agricultural trade and intellectual property rights have also affected Indian agriculture and farmers’ welfare too. Detractors of successful Bt cotton introduction in India since 2002 ascribe, unduly or duly, all types of evils to its asymmetrical sociological impact on farmers, including the farmers’ deaths. The country is yet to witness any significant impact of the Biodiversity and PPF&FR Acts, and also the Geographical Indications Action improving the socio-economics of marginal and small farmers in any district or specific agro-ecological niche.

In this context, new farmers’ welfare schemes of the Union Government genuinely hold full promise to catalyze sustainable development of marginal agrarian communities and regions. The face of agricultural extension has drasticallychanged with the preponderance of mobile phones, internet and satellite data,and private extension services are on a rise. But farmers still face constraints in reaping the best benefits of the new welfare schemes of the Union Government as of now.

This is not for criticism but a considered view. Despite the new policies of the Union Government, which are explicit and reformative, there are many system-wide, inadvertent weaknesses and threats which could stumble the fostering of farmers’ welfare measures. But the instant beginning of a new decade provides fresh opportunity for making cohesive efforts to achieve SDGs @agriculture in time vis-à-vis bringing a sustainable green revolution this time.*Copyright: views expressed are those of the Author.

MY PAGE


dIf

fER

ENT

sTR

Ok

Es

“Farmers, by nature, are the most persevering of people, since they continue

to start afresh with every cultivation season even if they faced losses in

previous seasons. That is why when a farmer commits suicide, it hurts us more”

“There is a change in the weather in the country.

There are unseasonal incidents, unseasonal rains,

the farmer is suffering”

“Rural income growth has been weak. Good monsoon rainfall, agriculture sector reform, and food management improvements have pushed down food prices. The low food prices represent a positive development in that they have supported the efforts of the Reserve Bank of India to keep inflation under control”

“The government is in favour of a stable export policy for the farm products and the decision to impose export restrictions on a farm product is based on a number of factors such as domestic supply and price position, concerns of food security, need to balance between remunerative prices to the growers and availability of agricultural products to at affordable prices”

NARENdRA SINgh TOMARAgriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister

NIRMALA SIThARAMANUnion Finance Minister

gITA gOpINAThIMF Chief Economist

pIYUSh gOYALCommerce and Industry Minister

2020 – laden with hopes and aspirationsw

Documents