06-17-2004, 07:35 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-Mudy+Jun 17 2004, 01:02 AM-->QUOTE(Mudy @ Jun 17 2004, 01:02 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin--> prmadhura,
My solution to AP is to copy Punjab Harit Karanti for long term and for final solution.
Lot is required to change. I will make comparison between Punjab/Harayna/Himachal (Punjab area) farmers for my take on this issue.
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Mudy,
There is only one Agriculture University in Punjab at Ludhiana, the next nearest is at Hissar, Haryana. The Ludhiana one was built as the only such pre partition university was in Layalpur ( now Faislabad), Punjab, Pakistan.
Though Punjab has gained because of better seeds and other inputs, the reason mainly is the best irrigation network in India was rebuilt , as it was lost to Pakistani Punjab, thru the efforts of Nehru and the CM Pratap Singh Kairon. Now Punjab is even unwilling to give Haryana's share of water and compete the SYL canal.
The second major reason for Punjab's success is that the sate agencies procurement of wheat and rice is the highest from Punjab , giving it an implicit insurance as even rotten grain is purchased if it rains during harvest.
There has been some progress in contract farming with the help of corporate, the credit for which should go to Pepsi and its tomato farming .
The main reason for farm incomes to decline is that they have not gone up to compensate for the reduction is size of holdings that takes place with every new generation. A farmer has three sons , so all get a third.
The answer to the problem , obviously is three fold, increase farm and non farm incomes in rural areas and also be prepared for the increasing migration to cities as it won't be able to sustain 600 m plus people. In developed nations about 2% of the rural population suffices to produce food for all and have far larger land holdings too. India can't be any different here.
This is easier said than done and needs a lot of agricultural experts, economists and business to put their heads together. One needs new ideas and a system to implement them as rural population is not as entrupneurial as city bred. One may need to create a thousand Amuls in horticulture, floriculture, fisheries , medicinal plants and herbs, fruits, poultry and meat, bee rearing, sericulture, rural crafts, rural tourism etc. etc. We also need cheap micro credit to be available to every rural house hold. We also need to conserve water and the environment.
<b>And my reasons why free power to farmers will only make the problem worse: </b>1.
It will lead to greater usage of power and further lowering of water table, which means every few years the farmers have to spend on digging deeper and eventually the farmer with the deepest hole and will win, which generally means the richest too, driving all others in the area to suicide and corner the entire power subsidy as well .. World Bank has calculated that the large farmers corner most of the subsidy , while the problem is with the smaller framer.
2. Encourage high water demanding crop which is the cause of the problem any way.
3. The growing power subsidy will leave little else for roads, education, health, sanitation etc. in rural areas.
The answers are obvious. The Govt needs to formulate an end to end ground level program for each area . (1) suggest the best crops that may be grown and provide the inputs (2) water conservation methods (3) cheap credit (4) minimum support price , better still product to market. Is best done thru tie ups with multinationals like Pepsi / Dabur who are proving all the inputs to farmers and take off too at contracted prices in Punjab and else where .
My solution to AP is to copy Punjab Harit Karanti for long term and for final solution.
Lot is required to change. I will make comparison between Punjab/Harayna/Himachal (Punjab area) farmers for my take on this issue.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Mudy,
There is only one Agriculture University in Punjab at Ludhiana, the next nearest is at Hissar, Haryana. The Ludhiana one was built as the only such pre partition university was in Layalpur ( now Faislabad), Punjab, Pakistan.
Though Punjab has gained because of better seeds and other inputs, the reason mainly is the best irrigation network in India was rebuilt , as it was lost to Pakistani Punjab, thru the efforts of Nehru and the CM Pratap Singh Kairon. Now Punjab is even unwilling to give Haryana's share of water and compete the SYL canal.
The second major reason for Punjab's success is that the sate agencies procurement of wheat and rice is the highest from Punjab , giving it an implicit insurance as even rotten grain is purchased if it rains during harvest.
There has been some progress in contract farming with the help of corporate, the credit for which should go to Pepsi and its tomato farming .
The main reason for farm incomes to decline is that they have not gone up to compensate for the reduction is size of holdings that takes place with every new generation. A farmer has three sons , so all get a third.
The answer to the problem , obviously is three fold, increase farm and non farm incomes in rural areas and also be prepared for the increasing migration to cities as it won't be able to sustain 600 m plus people. In developed nations about 2% of the rural population suffices to produce food for all and have far larger land holdings too. India can't be any different here.
This is easier said than done and needs a lot of agricultural experts, economists and business to put their heads together. One needs new ideas and a system to implement them as rural population is not as entrupneurial as city bred. One may need to create a thousand Amuls in horticulture, floriculture, fisheries , medicinal plants and herbs, fruits, poultry and meat, bee rearing, sericulture, rural crafts, rural tourism etc. etc. We also need cheap micro credit to be available to every rural house hold. We also need to conserve water and the environment.
<b>And my reasons why free power to farmers will only make the problem worse: </b>1.
It will lead to greater usage of power and further lowering of water table, which means every few years the farmers have to spend on digging deeper and eventually the farmer with the deepest hole and will win, which generally means the richest too, driving all others in the area to suicide and corner the entire power subsidy as well .. World Bank has calculated that the large farmers corner most of the subsidy , while the problem is with the smaller framer.
2. Encourage high water demanding crop which is the cause of the problem any way.
3. The growing power subsidy will leave little else for roads, education, health, sanitation etc. in rural areas.
The answers are obvious. The Govt needs to formulate an end to end ground level program for each area . (1) suggest the best crops that may be grown and provide the inputs (2) water conservation methods (3) cheap credit (4) minimum support price , better still product to market. Is best done thru tie ups with multinationals like Pepsi / Dabur who are proving all the inputs to farmers and take off too at contracted prices in Punjab and else where .