'Poor pesticide use causing crop loss of Rs.1,000 bn'

Non-judicious use of pesticides is leading to an annual loss of more than Rs.100,000 crore (Rs.1,000 billion/$21 billion) in the agricultural sector, according to the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham). 'Poor and inadequate use of pesticides is the primary cause of poor yield of Indian crops due to which a great deal of agriculture production has been suffering,' said Assocham president Sajjan Jindal in a statement. 'The impression is that pesticide consumptions in India are significantly higher as compared to many developed and developing countries but official records show that per hectare use of pesticide in India is just 0.33 kilogram,' Jindal said. This is against 3.07 kilogram a hectare consumed in France, 4.17 kilogram in Italy, 13.1 kilogram in Japan and more than 15 kilogram a hectare in Britain, Canada and the US. Assocham also quoted a recent estimate of the Standing Committee on Petroleum and Chemicals that India's farm sector loses over Rs.90,000 crore annually on account of unwise and non-judicious pesticide use. According to the chamber, the biggest challenge facing Indian farmers is a knowledge gap and inadequate transfer of technology to them. Sugarcane output declines by 17 pc: Govt New Delhi, May 12, 2009 (PTI):: The Agriculture Ministry has said that India is estimated to have produced 289.23 million tonnes of sugarcane in 2008-09 season, which is nearly 17 per cent less than the output a year ago. According to the latest estimates, the sugarcane production is pegged at 289.23 million tonnes. The output is marginally less than 290.45 million tonnes arrived at the release of second advance estimates in February 2009. In 2007-08 season (October-September), sugarcane production was 348.19 million tonnes. The cane production estimates has greater significance this year as the industry claims lower output as one of the factors for the high sugar prices. According to the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA), sugar production in 2008-09 season is expected to decline by 43 per cent to 14.7 million tonnes from 26.4 million tonnes in the previous year. Even Food Ministry officials have said that the sugar production would be about 15 million tonnes. Govt should focus on infrastructure and agriculture MUMBAI, April 23, 2009: The government needs to focus on infrastructure and agriculture to achieve a GDP growth of 8-10% in 2009-10, said Venu Srinivasan, the newly-appointed president of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) at a media briefing in Mumbai. Both the sectors, according to him, are grossly under-invested compared to China. “Infrastructure is way behind what it needs to be. As a result India Inc’s transaction costs on logistics and power transmission are much higher compared to other countries,” said Mr Srinivasan as he underlined CII’s priorities for the Indian economy in 2009-10. He maintained that the burgeoning fiscal deficit could detract the government from its objective of inclusive growth. Rice Intensification technology gaining popularity in India Coimbatore, December 15, 2008 (ANI): Rice Intensification technology known as System of Rice Intensification (SRI) for having bigger yields with less seeds, water and fertilizers is gaining popularity in India. Inaugurating a national symposium on “System of Rice Intensification in India - Policies, Institutions and Strategies for Scaling Up” at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, here recently, Norman Uphoff, a scientist from Cornell University of the United States, said that the SRI technology is being extended to several other crops besides rice in India. “Farmers in India working with various NGOs are now using this ideas for sugarcane, rabi and even for mustard. In Orissa, there are farmers who developed system mustard intensification using this idea for mustard crops. So we don't know where this is going to end. I keep emphasizing we are only beginning in the new direction,” he added. Uphoff said that ”SRI” is not merely a technology but a science, a paradigm and a movement. The SIR technology is reported to have been successfully tried out in 25 countries. Many research institutes have initiated experimental trials on SRI across the country in several states including, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Tripura, Punjab, West Bengal, Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Assam, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh to promote among farmers SRI in paddy cultivation. SAARC nations to set up Food Bank to ward off crisis New Delhi, November 5, 2008 (PTI): India today pledged to contribute 1,53,000 tonne of food grain to set up a Food Bank with an initial capacity of 2,43,000 tonne for meeting demand of SAARC countries during emergency-like situations. The Food Bank, proposed at the Colombo Summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) meet in August, is expected to be operationalised next year. The proposal was today ratified at a meet of Agriculture Ministers of the region here. "We have formalised the process for operationalisation of the Food Bank," India's Agriculture Minister and Chairman of the meet, Sharad Pawar, told reporters here. While India remains the largest contributor to the bank, both Pakistan and Bangladesh will offer 40,000 tonne each. Nepal and Sri Lanka will provide 4,000 tonne each followed by Afghanistan (1,420 tonne), Maldives (200 tonne) and Bhutan (180 tonne). Agricultural Insurance covered over 1.84 crore farmers in 2007-08 RAJYA SABHA, October 24, 2008: Over 1.84 crore farmers were covered under the National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS) in 2007-08. Nearly half (48.72%) of Rajasthan’s farmers took the cover, followed by about 30% in Madhya Pradesh. On all India basis, 15% farmers were covered under NAIS. The objective of NAIS is to provide insurance coverage and financial support to the farmers in the event of failure of any of the notified crops as a result of natural calamities, pests and disease; encourage adoption of progressive farming practices and to stabilize farm income, particularly in disaster years. Flat rates of premium for food and oilseeds crops and actuarial rates of premium for annual commercial / horticultural crops are charged. The scheme operates on area approach. Accordingly, the loss/claims in a notified area becomes payable if there is a short fall in yield. Small and marginal farmers are provided a subsidy of 10% on the premium payable by them. This information was given by Shri Kanti Lal Bhuria, Minister of State for Agriculture in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha. India ups rice outlook NEW DELHI, September 25, 2008 (Reuters): India expects a bigger rice harvest than forecast earlier and is optimistic about next year's wheat crop, easing concerns of shortages, but has scaled down the outlook for sugarcane, oilseeds and corn, a top official said. India, which banned wheat and corn exports and allows shipments of only some premium grades of rice to avoid scarcity, has adequate food stocks after a bumper wheat harvest this year but the government is in no hurry to ease trade controls ahead of next year's general elections. The government will review restrictions on rice exports in November, while the ban on corn exports, which lapses on Oct. 15, will only be extended if the crop is poor. Rice output is expected to surge to a record 83.25 million tonnes, higher than July's forecast of 82.81 million tonnes due to a larger area planted with the crop. Spurious pesticides destroy crops worth Rs 6,000 crore a year New Delhi, September 15, 2008: Spurious and substandard pesticides worth around Rs 1,200 crore are palmed off to unwary farmers every year. This results in a net loss to the farmers of crops worth about Rs 6,000 crore. These estimates have been compiled by the Agrochemicals Policy Group (APG), a pesticides industry body that aims to promote the safe use of plant protection chemicals. Indeed, a sizeable number of suicides by cotton growers in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and other states over the past few years have been attributed to the use of spurious pesticides that caused widespread crop losses. According to APG chairman S Kumarasamy, most spurious pesticide-making units are located in western Uttar Pradesh, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and western Maharashtra. Indira Market in Delhi is said to have become the leading centre for the sale and distribution of these fake pesticides. India’s pesticides industry is overseen by the Central Insecticides Board (CIB), a regulator created under the Insecticides Act, 1968. It is also responsible for the registration of agro-chemicals. Biofuels lift food prices 75 percent says World Bank July 07, 2008: Demand for biofuels in Europe and the United States has forced up food prices 75 percent around the world, according to a World Bank report that was leaked and published in The Guardian newspaper on Friday. The number stands in sharp contrast to the 3 percent contribution to higher food pricing estimated by the United States Department of Agriculture. Meanwhile, a study commissioned by food manufacturers pegs the contribution of biofuels on food prices at between 25 percent and 35 percent. The World Bank argues that these policies have distorted the market for grains in three ways, according to The Guardian. First, crops that would have been sold for food have been diverted for biofuels production. Second, land is now being used for fuels rather than food. And third, the mandates have set off speculation in financial markets. "Without the increase in biofuels, global wheat and maize stocks would not have declined appreciably and price increases due to other factors would have been moderate," The Guardian quoted the report as saying. India urged to focus on farming Washington, June 18, 2008: The vast bulk of India's population still rely on farming India must focus more on its agricultural sector in order to sustain long-term economic growth, a leading industrialist has said. Bharti Group boss Sunil Bharti Mittal called for "serious intervention". He said the government, private sector and foreign investors all needed to play their part if they wanted to see India's economy grow at the same rate. "Without agriculture, India cannot move forward," said Mr Mittal in an exclusive interview with the BBC. Mr Mittal said the biggest concern for the Indian economy today was not rising oil prices but the huge disparities that exist in India. Some reform in this sector has meant that the country has gone from being unable to feed itself to being the world's largest producer of milk and second largest producer of fruit and vegetables. Yet the average size of a farm is just four acres and at least 40% of the harvest is wasted. "A significant policy change is needed in terms of land reforms, cold-chains, farming techniques, alternate cropping and so on,'' said Mr Mittal, who is a former president of the Confederation of Indian Industries. PepsiCo boss Indira Nooyi echoed similar thoughts, saying one could not imagine a successful India unless its agricultural practices improved markedly with the application of new technologies and techniques. "India needs a second green revolution," Ms Nooyi told a gathering of US and Indian corporate executives and opinion makers in the US. capital, Washington. Source: BBC News Agriculture should be left out of WTO NEW DELHI, June 12, 2008: A high-profile meeting here of representatives of farmers, fisher folk, farm workers, rural women, adivasis and civil society organisations on Wednesday urged the government to reject the two drafts on Agriculture and Non-Agriculture Market Access that are coming up at the Doha Development Round next month. The meeting passed a resolution that called for leaving agriculture out of World Trade Organisation negotiations as it was a “one-sided deal [in favour of developed nations] and a futile exercise.” The day-long meeting, organised by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development with the United Kingdom Department for International Development and the Ministry of Commerce, unanimously passed a resolution that said both the drafts were “an orchestrated attempt” to open up Indian markets to highly subsidised cheaper imports. Some of the participants said that in the garb of tackling inflation, the government had already done away with import duties on several important farm commodities. “Importing food is importing unemployment that will destroy livelihoods and the country’s food self-sufficiency.” Expressing concern at the “dilution of the government’s position at the WTO,” the resolution observed that what was being offered by way of Special Products and Special Safeguard Measures was a “smokescreen” and offered no real protection to Indian agriculture, fisheries and forestry. “We do not see any efforts by rich countries to remove their agriculture subsidies that depress global prices and insulate their transnational corporations against market volatility.” The meeting had representatives from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, M.P., Gujarat and Maharashtra. Source: The Hindu India's Food Grain Export Ban Temporary, Says Food Minister Delhi, June 7, 2008: Indian government would lift the ban on export of major food grains when the supply situation improves, reported the media. The Agriculture and Food Minister, Sharad Pawar, expressed confidence that the prices would be under control soon and the supply situations of food grains also would improve. The government banned the export of wheat, non-basmati rice, and pulses, and imposed duty on exports of basmati rice, to tame inflation that surged to a 45-month high of 8.24%. Pawar said that though the world leaders propose lifting the ban, India imposed these limits to protect the poor people in the country. - RTTNews Food prices to stay high PARIS, May 29, 2008 (Reuters): Food prices will remain high over the next decade even if they fall from current records, meaning millions more risk further hardship or hunger, the OECD and the UN's FAO food agency said in a report published on Thursday. Beyond stating the immediate need for humanitarian aid, the international bodies suggested wider deployment of genetically modified crops and a rethink of biofuel programmes that guzzle grain which could otherwise feed people and livestock. The report, issued ahead of a world food summit in Rome next week, said food commodity prices were likely to recede from the peaks hit recently, but that they would remain higher in the decade ahead than the one gone by. Beef and pork prices would probably stay around 20 percent higher than in the last 10 years, while wheat, corn and skimmed milk powder would likely command 40-60 percent more in the 10 years ahead, in nominal terms, it said. The price of rice, an Asian staple expected to become more important also in Africa in the years ahead, would likely average 30 percent more expensive in nominal terms in the coming decade than over the 1998-2007 period. "In many low-income countries, food expenditures average over 50 percent of income and the higher prices contained in this outlook (report) will push more people into undernourishment," the report said. India feels let down by WTO proposals on agriculture New Delhi May 20, 2008: The World Trade Organisation (WTO) today released new negotiating texts on agriculture and industrial products, but India feels let down by not getting enough policy space to protect its farmers and nascent industries in the draft proposals for a Doha trade deal. The revised text, released by the negotiating group on agriculture, proposes less number of products which India and other developing countries can protect from unrestricted imports from the agro exporting countries like the US, Canada and Australia. Likewise, India's plea for greater flexibility for protecting its industries, including small and medium units, has not found much favour in the draft proposals for duty cuts on manufactured goods, official sources said. "The American pressure seems to have played a role on the revised proposals," an official said. Pressure seems to be mounting on bigger developing countries, like India, China, Brazil and South Africa to "yield their market" while the developed countries do not appear prepared for sacrifice, he said. The Doha negotiations, launched in 2001, for a market opening multilateral trade agreement have remained inconclusive amid differences between developed and developing countries. The talks were mandated to be concluded by end of 2004. Source: Press Trust of India
India’s wheat worries The international seminar on ‘Wheat and Wheat products: Vision 2020’ that concluded a few weeks ago in Bangalore brought together a diverse group of participants, including Indian policymakers as also industry and trade representatives from within the country and outside. The meeting took note of the emerging issues of the wheat sector and possible responses to address the challenges. The effect of climate change was one of the key issues for scrutiny. Grain prices, in general, and wheat, in particular, have reached new highs in recent times. Across the world, there are howls of protest against rising food prices. Why are grain prices so high? Clearly, demand-side and supply-side factors are at work. Traditionally a food crop, wheat is currently used as food, feed and fuel. Asia has emerged as major consumer of wheat for food purposes. Two of the world’s most populous countries, China and India, are the top two wheat producers and consumers. Wheat demand as feed is also rising rapidly. Expansion of the livestock industry in Asia and the West is leading to rapid growth in feed consumption. Emergence of bio-fuels — bio-ethanol, in particular — has also meant diversion of wheat for fuel purposes in the US, Canada and elsewhere. Wheat is one of the minor feed-stocks for ethanol, which is produced mainly from either corn (maize) or sugarcane. So, the demand side looks rather robust with diversified and expanding uses of the grain. The supply side, on the other hand, is becoming increasingly uncertain. Weather aberrations, competition for acreage and trade barriers skew the market. Weather has emerged as a big risk factor in the last two years, sending the grains market into a tailspin. For instance, one of the important suppliers to the world market, Australia, suffered drought two years in a row in 2006 and 2007, which affected availability and, consequently, prices. Some others too suffered minor weather hiccups. India, for instance, had a less-than-satisfactory crop in 2005 and 2006. Competition for acreage is becoming increasingly fierce. In the US, one of world’s largest producers and exporters of grains, wheat, corn and soyabean compete for acreage.
Grain prices, in general, and wheat, in particular, have reached new highs in recent times. Two of the world’s most populous countries, China and India, are the top two wheat producers and consumers.
Wheat procurement crosses 10 million tons in current season New Delhi, April 25, 2008 : (PTI): The wheat procurement has crossed 10 million tons in the current season, government data released said on Friday. The Food Corporation of India and other agencies have procured 104.48 lakh tons of wheat till yesterday out of 110.87 lakh tons arrival in the market so far. Last year, the total wheat procurement by the government was 111 lakh tons. "With today's wheat procurement, the total purchases will cross 11 million tons," a senior government official said. Out of 55.54 lakh tons wheat arrived in Punjab, the government has been able to procure 54.31 lakh tons while in Haryana, the purchases are 35.03 lakh tons out of 35.23 lakh tons arrival. Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar had recently exuded confidence in government procuring 170 lakh tons of wheat this year as against the target of 150 lakh tons. During the last 10 days post-Baisakhi, the minister had said that wheat procurement was over 60 per cent of the set target. According to the 3rd crop estimate, India's food grains production is estimated at 227.32 million tons (MT) for the crop year 2007-08 ending May, which is 10.04 MT higher than in 2006-07. The foodgrains demand in the country is projected at 214.03 million tons for 2007-08. The Agriculture Ministry scaled up wheat production to 76.78 MT against an estimated domestic demand of 71.19 MT. Wheat estimate was 74.81 MT for this year according to the second estimate in February. Poor Farmers Commit Suicide in UPLUCKNOW, April 11, 2008 : Authorities in northern India have banned the sale of a cheap variety of hair dye after debt-ridden farmers were found to be drinking it to end their lives, an official said Friday. At least 11 farmers have died from swallowing the hair dye in a drought-hit region of Uttar Pradesh state in the past three months, said Rajiv Agarwal, a senior state official. In UP most of people depend on agriculture, and most have been left out of India's economic boom. In parts of western and southern India, the dire economic state of farmers has been blamed for thousands of suicides in recent years. Farmers not to celebrate holi Ghaziabad, March 20, 2008 (PTI): More than 10,000 farmers in Murad Nagar on Thursday declared that they would not celebrate Holi in protest against government's reluctance to pay them "fair price" for the lands to be acquired by the authorities. The farmers said they decided in a Mahapanchayat that they would not celebrate the festival in protest against the government's reluctance to pay them a "fair price" for their lands which were to be taken up by the government for construction of the peripheral express highway and demanded a rate equal to Noida land rate. However, farmers leader and MLA Rajpal Tyagi has appealed to the farmers to withdraw their decision. He said the matter would be settled as Chief Minister Mayawati has assured all possible help to the farmers. Tyagi said he would be with the farmers whatever be their decision and would fight for them. Rajasthan Government announces cash relief package for farmers Jaipur, March 17, 2008 (PTI): In an apparent bid to woo farmers, the BJP government in Rajasthan on Monday announced a cash relief package for about 25 lakh poor farmers in the state. Replying a debate on appropriation and finance bills, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said about 25 lakh small and marginal farmers would get relief of Rs 1500 each in the coming fiscal. She also announced that small and marginal farmers, who have paid loans at a rate of seven per cent, would be given a concession of two per cent. The state government would bear the rebate. This would benefit another 15 lakh farmers, she said, adding about 35 to 40 lakh farmers would get benefit out of the entire package. Criticising the UPA government's loan waiver, Raje said so far there was no action plan for the purpose. As per estimates, the small and marginal farmers in the state would get no major benefit from the central scheme, she claimed. Crop planning, organic farming recommended by experts IMPHAL, March 16, 2008: The need for proper strategy and crop planning for future food security and organic farming practices to reduce problems like global warming due to green house effect were among the recommendations of the agricultural scientists who participated in the recently concluded national seminar on soil health and food security with special reference to the north east region of India in Imphal. The food production in Manipur needs to enhance by double from the present level by 2025 AD observed the participants during the technical session on food security. To achieve the target of increasing the present food production level to 30% the scientists recommended the need for imparting training to the farmers on the proper crop management practices. They also recommended the need for rain water management technology to the farmers and adoption of seed village concept for good seeds which has a great role in increasing crop productivity to meet the requirement. Exploring organic farming practices can reduce problems like global warming due to green house effect, the recommendation said while also putting down the need for imparting technical support to the organic growers. "Biodegradable city wastes after proper screening of heavy metals should be converted to compost so as to support the organic farmers and which also help in keeping the city clean," the recommendation said. Regarding the farming system, the scientists recommended that integration of different enterprises like poultry, piggery, dairy and crop husbandry should be introduced among the poor and marginal farmers for maintaining soil health and productivity in the long farming system approach. Acknowledging that agro- pastorial farming system can help in increasing socioeconomic status of the rural masses as dairy farming is one of the most profitable and feasible enterprises in the north eastern India, it recommend fodder production of guinea grass and broom grass round the year by growing in the terraces.Source: The Imphal Free Press Govt downplays FAO's note on wheat fungus NEW DELHI, March 07, 2008: The Directorate of Wheat Research on Thursday downplayed the alerts by UN agency Food and Agriculture Organisation that a deadly fungus may enter India from Iran where its outbreak has been confirmed. FAO on Wednesday sounded alerts to six countries, including India, on dangerous fungus ‘UG 99’, which, it is said, can wreak havoc on wheat production. “We do not see the fungus coming to India in near future,” Directorate of Wheat Research director B Mishra said. The Karnal-based Directorate of Wheat Research is the nodal body for wheat. He said though the outbreak of virulent wheat fungus has been confirmed in Iran, the disease may not spread beyond that country.FAO on Wednesday sounded alerts to six countries, including India, on the fungus. “Countries east of Iran, like Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, all major wheat producers, are the most threatened by the fungus and should be on high alert, FAO had said. India, the third largest producer of wheat in the world, has not seen any epidemic of stem rust (fungus) in the past 35 years, he said , adding: Even if the disease spreads, India is much ahead of other countries with its systems to tackle the disease. Currently, four UG 99-resistant varieties have been released in the country. Since last two years, India has been researching jointly with International Wheat Research Centre to develop new UG 99-resistant varieties. Source: Economic Times Rs. 60,000 crore debt relief package benefiting four crore farmers New Delhi , February 29, 2008: Presenting the budget in the Lok Sabha today the Finance Minister, Shri P. Chidambaram, announced Rs. 60,000 crore debt relief package benefiting four crore farmers, in the Union Budget for 2008-09. Under the debt waiver and relief package, small and marginal farmers (with holdings up to 2 hectare) there will be a complete waiver of all loans overdue on December 31, 2007 and which remained unpaid until February 29, 2008. For other farmers, there will be a one-time settlement (OTS) scheme. Under the OTS, a rebate of 25 per cent will be given against payment of the balance 75 per cent. Loans re-scheduled in 2004 and 2006 through special packages and those re-scheduled in the normal course will also be eligible for a waiver or an OTS. The debt relief scheme will be implemented by June 30, 2008 and the covered farmers will be entitled to fresh farm loans from banks in accordance with normal rules. The total value of overdue loans being waived is estimated at Rs. 50,000 crore and the OTS relief at Rs.10,000 crore. The scheme is likely to benefit about three crore small and marginal farmers and one crore other farmers. Expressing the hope that the target of agricultural credit for 2007-08 would be exceeded, the Finance Minister has set the target of Rs. 280,000 crore farm credit in 2008-09. Short-term crop loans will continue to be disbursed at interest rate of 7 per cent per year. Investment in agriculture is vital to India NEW DELHI, February 16,2008: Greater investment in agriculture in transforming economies like India is vital to the welfare of 600 million rural poor, mostly in Asia, says the latest World Development Report (WDR) of the World Bank. Presenting the India highlights of the report here on Friday, WDR co-author Alain de Janvry said there was "much mis-spending on agriculture" in India, with investments accounting for only 25 percent of public expenditure, while subsidies took up 75 percent. The report, titled Agriculture for Development, warns: "The international goal of halving extreme poverty and hunger by 2015 will not be reached unless neglect and under-investment in the agricultural and rural sectors over the past 20 years is reversed." Talking about the large number of farmer suicides in India, de Janvry said the way out was crop insurance. Gulati said the recent cold wave in north India had ruined up to half the vegetable crop in Punjab, "but hardly any of the farmers have insurance". He said, "Growth originating in agriculture is two-three times more effective for the poor than growth originating in non-agriculture." UPA plans Rs 65,000 cr waiver for indebted farmers New Delhi, January 24, 2008: The UPA government is planning a massive loan waiver for small and marginal- income farmers. Far removed from the disappointment of falling stock prices, families of farmers who are unable to repay loans of a few thousand rupees are committing suicide. In an attempt to provide these farmers some relief, the UPA government is planning to write off small, marginal and big farmers' loans over four years."For the last few months, we are have been seriously working on how to support farmers suffering from indebtedness," says Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar. Even though the Finance Ministry initially opposed the plan, it is now seems to be coming round to the idea. In financial terms, it is a waiver of Rs 65,000 crore over four years, a hit that banks may not agree to. "It's not easy. We have to protect the burden of the financial institutions or else they will collapse," Pawar says. "Don't take loans from private money lenders and don't return the money is all I can say," Pawar suggests.Union Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar warns of food crisis NEW DELHI, Januaray 20, 2008 : Union Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Saturday warned of a crisis in the food sector if farm production and productivity were not enhanced and the approach to research was not changed. Referring to the quality of imported wheat, he said the availability of wheat in the world that matched Indian habits was limited. Only Australia has that kind of wheat but even that country had faced drought in the last two years. Russia, the other country from whom India imports, has imposed trade barriers to virtually ban wheat export. “The wheat available from Hungary, Ukraine and Eastern European countries is the red grain, which is not liked in India. It is a question of our habits. Therefore, there is no way out but to improve productivity in India.” In response to the complaints of poor quality of imported wheat made by Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, Mr. Pawar said these two States could go in for decentralised procurement for the Public Distribution System, as well as for wheat import on their own. “The government will reimburse them the difference in price between the minimum support price and the imported wheat.” Mr Pawar said although India was not expecting to import rice, importable rice was only available in two countries of the world — Vietnam and Thailand. But the production in Vietnam and Thailand has also dropped and the former has also imposed trade barriers to ban export.” Emphasising the need for development of new crop varieties, he said wheat production, which grew after the Green revolution, had been in the range of 68 to 75 million tonnes in recent years, with an average yield of 11 to 14 million tonnes, while that in oilseeds has touched 25 million tonnes, which is well below the domestic demand. A situation of mismatch between demand and supply is emerging in wheat also. Mr Pawar said that in the case of pulses and oilseeds, the country has to meet its demands through imports. “The cost of pulses imports was Rs 3,851 crore, while that of edible oils was Rs 9,416 in 2006-07. Some of the stakeholders have begun to question the efficacy and relevance of agricultural research in such a scenario,” he told the Vice- Chancellors Conference here. India Inc in favour of taxing farmersNEW DELHI, January 09, 2008: India Inc has mooted the proposal of bringing the agriculture sector into the tax net in the Budget 2008-09. Besides, corporate leaders have urged for the waiver of 10% surcharge on corporate tax and increase in the personal income-tax ceiling to Rs 1.5 lakh in view of increasing cost of inflation index. This was brought out in a survey of industry body Assocham that saw participation of 300 CEOs. Close to 80% of the respondents were in favour of bringing agriculture sector into the the tax bracket. The chamber would take up the issues highlighted in the survey in its pre-Budget consultations with the finance ministry on Tuesday. Govt. must educate farmers about climate change: Pachauri New Delhi, (PTI): Climate change can adversely impact the production of crops like wheat, rice and pulses in India and the government needs to educate farmers in this regard, Nobel Laureate and Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change Chairman, R K Pachauri, said. "Agricultural production in many countries including India would be severely compromised by climate variability. Therefore, farmers really need to be concerned about its impact," Pachauri said in an interview. The country needs to educate its farmers about the impact of climate change on agricultural production and food security, he added. "Basically, yields of some crops like wheat, rice and pulses will go down. We have got an evidence on decline in the productivity of wheat in the country. It is high time farmers should know why their yields are not growing," he noted. The livelihood of a vast population in India depends on agriculture, forestry, and fisheries and land use in these areas is strongly influenced by water-based ecosystems that depends on monsoon rains. Pachauri said farmers have to realise that they cannot take natural resources for granted. They should be aware of water scarcity, which is likely to grow in future. "Farmers would probably need to pay much higher price for water in future," he said, pointing out that a lot of water is wasted by farmers because electricity is provided free or at low cost. He elucidated on how annual monsoon is expected to change resulting in severe droughts and intense floods in various parts of the country. "Also, farmers perhaps need to change their cropping pattern and agricultural practices to adapt to climate change. Moreover, the government should develop new strains of crops which are drought-resistant, can handle higher temperature and also which can thrive under lower water availability conditions," Pachauri said. He said scientists predict that by the end of the century the country will experience a 3-5 degree Celsius rise in temperature and a 20 per cent rise in all summer monsoon rainfall. The noble laureate Pachauri blamed it on industrialisation for adverse effects of climate change. "For 150 years, we have been industrialising at a very rapid rate emitting green gases on a large scale. All of that now is affecting the climate in several adverse ways across the world. Now, we are reaching a stage of crisis," Pachauri said. AGRICULTURE NEEDS DIVERSIFICATION, MODERN MARKETING, COLD CHAIN MANAGEMENT November 29, 2007: Shri Kamal Nath, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, has stated that the agriculture sector needs diversification, modern marketing, cold chain management and private sector linkages. Speaking at the inaugural session of the 8th India-EU Summit: Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), he informed that India is the world’s second largest producer of fruits and vegetables and has a huge opportunity to become global food supplier if only it has the right marketing strategies with efficient supply chain. The Minister said: “I believe India’s farm sector can be lifted up just like the manufacturing sector and the country has the potential to become an international powerhouse. I am also confident that with some inclusive planning and smart innovation, Indian agriculture can lift its growth rates above the last ten years average of 2.5% to 4-5%. The Farm Policy recently presented in the Parliament is the beginning of new Green Revolution – green linked to agriculture, environment and dollars. The Summit was attended by Mr. Peter Mandelson, European Union (EU) Trade Commissioner; Dr. Basilio Horta, President of the Portuguese Development Agency; Shri Ajay Shankar, Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion; Shri G.K. Pillai, Commerce Secretary; senior officials and representatives of business communities from both India and EU.Source: PIBSubsidy scheme for precision farming PUDUCHERRY, November 16, 2007: Minister for Industries and Agriculture V. Vaithilingam on Thursday announced a subsidy scheme for farmers who took up precision farming and cultivated crops such as brinjal, tomato, ladies finger, banana and sugarcane. He told reporters here that the Department of Agriculture would be calling for applications from November 19 and the government’s involvement in the projects would be up to Rs 2.25 lakh per hectare. “In the first year, we will provide 100 per cent subsidy, in the second year it will be 90 per cent, in the third year, 80 per cent. Farmers will take up the projects on their own after that,” he said. The farmers would be guided by resource persons at each stage and provided with seeds, imported water-soluble fertilizer and plant protection chemicals. This kind of farming is being practiced in locations where water was scarce such as Hosur and Dharmapuri in Tamil Nadu. The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University would be the consultant for the project. Planting would begin by Pongal, he added. December 10 is the last date for submitting the filled in application forms. A total of 400 farmers would be chosen and the subsidy would be provided to a maximum of two hectares, he added.Source: The Hindu
India’s Peasants Protest for Land Rights New Delhi, October 28, 2007: Thousands of peasants arrived in New Delhi on 28th October to demand that India guard their rights as it seeks economic growth. More than 27,000 peasants have marched more than 200 miles, in 26 days to reach the capital from Gwalior, in central India, with the hope of telling their government how they had been cast aside by India’s roaring economic growth. They arrived Sunday morning in an orderly, peaceful three-mile-long procession. The Ekta Parishad, or Unity Council, which organized the march, mobilizes people, particularly the “poor and deprived,” to seek “proper and just” use of land and other resources. The marchers’ principal grievance was over land, and their presence in the capital was a stark reminder of one of India’s biggest challenges as it seeks to balance the needs of a vulnerable countryside with the demands of economic expansion. More than half of the population makes its living from agriculture, and most peasants subsist on tiny plots fed by fickle rains. While industrial and public works projects displaced people in past decades, the pace of industrialization has accelerated significantly in recent years, sharpening competition over land, one of India’s most coveted resources. Peasants’ protests, some of them violent, have delayed several proposed projects — including steel mills, power plants and Chinese-style Special Economic Zones — postponing several billion dollars in investments in the past two years. The government has been compelled to revisit its Special Economic Zone policy, which gives developers generous tax breaks, and is writing a policy to compensate those whose lands and livelihoods are lost. The peasant procession, which began in Gwalior, carried sacks over their shoulders, containing a few clothes, a steel plate and cup, and thin quilts for warmth at night. Three marchers were killed last week, hit by a speeding truck along the road in neighboring Uttar Pradesh State. They were joined by a fair number of foreigners. The cost of the procession, about $1.25 per person per day, the organizers said, was defrayed by foreign aid agencies. The marchers’ demands included enforceable property deeds and fast-track courts to settle land disputes, which can take several years. “Land. Water. Forest,” read a banner strung on a jeep that led the procession. NEW DELHI, October 30, 2007: The nearly month-long march of around 25,000 Dalits, tribals and landless peasants from Gwalior to Delhi ended on a positive note here on Monday with the government accepting all their demands pertaining to land reforms.
More than 25,000 peasants have marched more than 200 miles, in 26 days to reach the capital from Gwalior, with the hope of telling their government how they had been cast aside by India’s roaring economic growth. NEW DELHI, October 30, 2007: The nearly month- long march of around 25,000 Dalits, tribals and landless peasants ended on Monday with the Govt. accepting all their demands pertaining to land reforms.
Indian farmer suicides spiral despite cash plans MUMBAI (Reuters) Jul 6, 2007: By Krittivas Mukherjee : Source: Reuters Hundreds of farmers unable to repay crop loans killed themselves in India's richest state in the past year, despite a multi-million dollar cash plan to improve their lot, activists said on Friday. The spate of suicides in Maharashtra since last July touched 1,132, they said, highlighting the failure of highly publicised efforts by New Delhi to ease the financial burden of cotton farmers. Debt-ridden farmers have been committing suicide in four Indian states and government statistics have recorded more than 4,500 deaths in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala in the past six years. Activists and farmers' groups say the figure is at least five times more. They say the "accumulated distress" of the cotton growers of Maharashtra was the highest because of $400 million in one-time grants, interest waivers and debt restructuring announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last year had not been properly implemented."Even crop seeds promised were never given," said Kishor Tiwari, head of Vidharba Jan Andolan Samiti, a farmers' lobby. "The money lies unutilised because of a callous bureaucracy. There are at least 1.2 million farmers under distress now."STILL DYINGMost of India's farming community is poverty-stricken and many farmers borrow -- often amounts that would only buy a few drinks in an upmarket London or New York pub -- from the village moneylender at rates as high as 10 percent a month. Their debts soar when crops fail due to poor rains or when prices tumble. Those borrowing privately are not eligible for government relief. Even those who borrow from banks, including state-run rural banks, often have to pay bribes for their loans. Agriculture supports 600 million of India's 1.1 billion people, but contributes only a fifth of gross domestic product and accounts for only 12 percent of bank credit. A Maharashtra government Web site said 454 farmers had killed themselves between January and May this year. Officials said the relief plan was starting to benefit farmers, but more time was needed."Suicides have come down by 50 percent in the last one year," said Ramesh Kumar, a top Maharashtra relief official. But activists said the government was playing down the crisis which the special relief package had not been able to deal with. "Just go and see if there has been any change in their lot. They are still dying," said Sharad Joshi, chief of Shetkari Sangathan, a powerful farmers' group. Climate Change Kills farmersNew Delhi, December 8, 2006 A world Bank study released on December 6, 2006 has found a link between climate change and farmer suicides. It says poor farmers who are unable to adapt to changing climate fall into debt and later, death traps. The study found that richer farmers adapt better to the vagaries of climate since they had the resources to diversify and try out other crops that suit the changed climate pattern. " Small farmers fall into a debt trap because of their inability to pay. The situation is worse in villages where private money lenders hold their sway," the report said. The report is based on pilot studies conducted by The Energy and Research Institute (TERI) in various parts of the country. After a study of draft-prone villages in Andhra Pradesh and Maharastra, the report said there was a need to shift to less water-intensive crops. In Chitoor district of Andhra Pradesh, the experts suggested that long-term micro credit was the only way farmer can escape the debt trap. The report pointed out how areas where sugarcane was cultivated extensively had reported a drop in income as they had become arid due to climate changes. "There is need to change the crops to mitigate the impact of climate change," it said.
source: Hindusthan times