Miscellaneous news and discussion - 2

[Bharatvarsh]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->From the recent edition of 'India Today':

http://www.indiatoday.com/itoday/20070611/cover4.html

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Excerpt:
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Gujarat has trebled agricultural productivity through excellent
agro-management programmes that include conserving water, soil health
care and making vital inputs available to farmers. In the rocky road
ahead, states will have to take the initiative and play a key role in
reviving Indian agriculture before it is too late.

-with Subhash Mishra and Stephen David

SHOWING A WAY OUT

Gujarat, the highest producer of oilseeds in the country, has
enhanced its agricultural production by almost one-and-a-half times
in the last five-odd years, thanks to a multi-pronged strategy. Apart
from successive good monsoons, the turnaround came because of
efficient agro-management based on conservation of surface water,
providing scientific information to farmers through the medium of
Krishi Rath, and disbursement of a soil health card to every farmer.
Tapping of surface water has been achieved by building 1.77 lakh farm
ponds and 1 lakh check dams in public-private partnership, and
deepening 5,000 village lakes, which has sent the water table
soaring.

The soil health card policy—under which scientists attached to the
four agro universities in the state go to every farm and test the
soil quality—has played a major role. The card helps the farmer
provide the right nutrients to the soil, thus saving on wasteful
expenditure. Around 17 lakh farmers in Gujarat have already received
such cards. No wonder productivity has gone up.

-By Uday Mahurkar<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->