The New Government Has to Attach Top Priority to Agri Sector

By Dr B K Mukhopadhyay

The state of agriculture continues to change at snails pace. The major grey area, as usual, has been the farm sector, where the uncoordinated efforts still continue to exist. It is crystal clear that tinkering around the ongoing weapons cannot help reach the target. Had we been one of the leading farm output holders, the world market could have been explored in much better way!

The purpose here is not to belittle the results achieved, but to flash the point that we deserve better and have the ability to forge ahead. Reaching a target of 280 milliion tones of foodgrains output, in India, for example, [up from 51 million tones in 1951 when the first Five Year Plan was taken up], does not necessarily allow to be complacent!

The point here is that had we, the developing zone, been one of the grain bowls [still the scope remains] by now we could have reaped large benefits from the rising international prices of the agri-commodities. The most important factor on this score is that demand for such commodities – especially the food grains- would never come down rather it is all set to go up over time. Population upsurge coupled with growing demand from industrial sectors could keep the demand factor at reasonably high level.

So the question of complacency is not at all there rather the time is ripe for looking at the inhibiting factors. Though there is no doubt that a number of programmes have been taken by the Government, yet poor implementation continues to hit hard.

Clearly, if the current trends are of any indication, the food and agricultural policy system itself is in disarray. The symptoms of such a disarray are not difficult to locate – incoherent / inadequate response to exploding food prices; slowdown in agricultural productivity growth; water problems; a disorderly response to continuously disturbing energy prices; rapid concentration in multinational agri-business corporations without adequate institutional innovation aiming at properly guiding them; lack of progress in addressing scarcity; widespread nutritional problems [ hunger / obesity / chronic diseases ] plus agriculture related health hazards [ avian influenza, etc ] and adverse impacts on climatic fluctuations.

Underinvestment in areas related to food, nutrition / agriculture [research / infrastructure / rural institutions] invite spill over effect / global impacts, among others. It is high time that sincere collaborative programmes are resumed among the countries in order to adequately address opportunities and challenges.

Clearly, agricultural modernization has no alternatives. Area under cultivation cannot be raised continuously even if the fallow land is brought within cultivation [that too not more than 10 percent in a year] cannot brought under cultivation as such. The question is regarding availability of quality seeds, bio fertilisers’ applications, and finally technological consolidation of holdings. Best water use process is another area that deserves attention. Here also scientific planning regarding exploration of ground water holds the key as indiscriminate use gives rise to other problems. Surface water utilization has also not been optimally done.

The urgent need is there to go for overall farm development efforts. For that matter needless to say the infrastructure holds the key. The loss incurred during the entire production process inclusive of the damage done in the unscientific threshing, rat menace, field loss, can be minimised. Without proper training imparted to the farmers as regards post harvest technology not much can be expected on this score. Connectivity between the producing zone and the selling zones calls for immediate reinforcing. Buy-back arrangement is obviously a good process provided the actual producer receives the legitimate benefit in due course.

The specific point here is that whichever country had not attached enough of importance on this score had to bear the brunt. It is also a fact that overnight success is not more than a wishful thinking. Systematic planning is the only way out. And for that matter the tools of regional planning can be readily made use of. Regional peculiarities must be the starting point of any realistic decision making on this score. Economic factors alone cannot give a full-fledged guidance as the strength of non-economic factors count for no less. There is always the gap between the cup and the leap. Initiating change has never been an easy matter and change resisting factors count for.

Rather economics is used for achieving the political purposes. Not only is this the reality in India but in the entire developing world. Either the projects are not taken up or even when the same is taken up the rate of progress remains at a palpably low level – cost escalation is rewarded! What is more projects completed are not subsequently followed up, supervised adequately as a result of which the same assignment is to be repeated within a short span of time involving more expenses.

The potentialities still remains so high. How many countries are there in the world that can produce grapes twice in a year! The quality of many horticultural crops enables countries, like India, Bangladesh, and Vietnam, to remain largely unbeatable in the global market. In spite of competition becoming intense – hotter and hotter – we are able to retain the markets for many agri-commodities. The flip side – we have to remain contended with insignificant share in global trade in agri-commodies! Strong cooperation among the developing and developed world is a must, as hunger cannot go on waiting ad infinitum!! Let there be a good inter-regional cooperation in a more practical way.

Neglecting agriculture results in heavy immediate and future loss. The huge upcoming population in the workable category, in turn, is one of the rare assets that could give rich dividends exactly by the same route as China gained in the previous years.

Big industries alone or an export-led growth ultimately hinges heavily on how the food factor extends support. For India, fortunately that severe negligence has not been there – the missing factor remained at not properly exploring the resourcat a quicker pace. Had it been so by now we could have ruled the world so far as many such commodities are concerned. A lot thus depend on formulating realistic policies and then regular practical follow up and supervision.

The author is a noted Management Economist and an International Commentator on contemporary Business and Economic Affairs, can be reached at m.bibhas@gmail.com