Relevance: GS-3: Major crops-cropping patterns in various parts of the country, - different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers

Key Phrases: Natural Farming, Organic Farming, Traditional Farming. Research and Development in Agriculture, Farmers’ distress

Context:

• The year 2022 marks the year of fulfilling the promise of doubling the farmers’ income. Thus, it becomes important to discuss various aspects related to the agriculture sector in India.

Background

• Agriculture is the primary source of livelihood for about 58% of India’s population.
• In order to fulfill the objective of doubling farm incomes, the government must hike R&D spend and facilitate private investments.

Constitutional Provisions

• Article 48 of the constitution: The State shall endeavor to organize agriculture and animal husbandry on modern and scientific lines and shall, in particular, take steps for preserving and improving the breeds, and prohibiting the slaughter, of cows and calves and other milch and draught cattle.
• Agriculture, including agricultural education and research; protection against pests and prevention of plant diseases is a State subject under Schedule VII of the constitution.
• The Centre has to rely on the state governments to implement even those farm development and farmer’s welfare schemes that are sponsored and funded by it.
• The decisions concerning support prices of crops, institutional credit and agri-commodities trade, both domestic and international, are taken by the Centre

Issues Involved

• It is very difficult to get information about the native crops, local breeds of cattle from the State agriculture department office.
• There is disconnect between the government and farmers at the grassroots level. Farmers don’t have fair information about ongoing schemes of the government.
• The connections between the government’s agriculture machinery and the actual farmer had steadily deteriorated and weakened from the heydays of the Green Revolution.

Impact of Green Revolution

• The government’s agricultural extension services had as much a role to play in that turnaround of India’s agricultural fortunes as the development of high-yielding varieties in the research labs.
• At that time, India had one of the largest publicly-funded agricultural research systems in the world.
• While the system responded to the crisis of food shortage in the 1960s, subsequently, there has been a widening divergence between what public research is focusing on and what farmers are grappling with in the field.
• India’s problem is no longer output-related, rather there is a problem of oversupply.
• The bigger challenges today are market access and remunerative reasons, dealing with climate change and rising water stress.

India needs to invest more on R&D

• Countries like India, where large pools of poverty exist and where agriculture is the sole means of sustenance or livelihood for the largest segment of the population, need to substantially step up investments in agricultural research and extension
• Research and Development delivers a higher return on investment than any other form of support to farmers, including subsidies.
• Agri-GDP growth is 5-10 times more if the public money is spent through investments in agri-R&D, or roads, or irrigation, etc., compared to if the same money is spent as subsidies on fertilizers, power or irrigation.
• The Economic Survey shows that every rupee spent on agricultural research and development yields much better returns (11.2), compared to returns on every rupee spent on fertilizer subsidy (0.88), power subsidy (0.79), education (0.97) or on roads (1.10).

Government Initiatives

• At the G20 Agriculture Ministers meeting last year, India stressed the need to increase investment in agricultural research and development amid the challenges of climate change and expected increase in food demand by 2030.
• National Agriculture Market (eNAM) is a pan-India electronic trading portal which networks the existing APMC mandis to create a unified national market for agricultural commodities.
• National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) has been formulated for enhancing agricultural productivity especially in rainfed areas focusing on integrated farming, water use efficiency, soil health management and synergizing resource conservation.
• Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) has been formulated with the vision of extending the coverage of irrigation 'Har Khet ko pani' and improving water use efficiency 'More crop per drop' in a focused manner with end to end solution on source creation, distribution, management, field application and extension activities.
• The Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), an initiative to promote organic farming in the country, was launched in 2015. Farmers will be encouraged to form groups or clusters and take to organic farming methods over large areas in the country.

Way Forward

• Over the years, the governments in India have de-emphasized research, and cut back on extension, in favor of more populistic quick fixes. This needs to change.
• There is an urgent need to increase investments in agriculture and contain input subsidies for faster alleviation of poverty and boosting growth in agri-GDP.
• Increasing R&D spending on agriculture is not only a vital necessity for ensuring food security, but also important from the socio-economic point of view.

Source: The Hindu BL 

Mains Question:

Q. Increasing R&D spending on agriculture is not only a vital necessity for ensuring food security, but also important from the socio-economic point of view. Discuss. [150 Words].