 |
|
| AGRICULTURE TRIBUNE | Monday, November 11, 2002, Chandigarh, India |
|
DIVERSIFICATION The Johl Committee has done its job and submitted a report, which is yet to be processed and approved. Only long-term solution, not immediate It’s not simply about more varieties While the pot boils, a look at specifics...
|
|
|
Only long-term solution, not immediate OFTEN rice-wheat rotation is believed to be the chief cause of the Punjab agriculture crisis. The committee on agricultural policy led by Dr S. S. Johl has also put its stamp on it. It has suggested the replacement of 10 lakh hectares under rice-wheat rotation with other crops like oilseeds and pulses, which have less water requirement and are ecology and soil friendly. Efforts made to this effect in the past have not succeeded. When farmers attempted to grow alternative crops by using the prevailing varieties their profitability declined. Since an almost similar plan formulated earlier by former PAU Vice-Chancellor G. S. Kalkat to shift 8 lakh hectares from rice-wheat to soyabean and maize failed, the Amarinder Singh government, relying on the Dr Johl’s old report on diversification, decided to ask him to suggest an “agricultural policy”. The recommendations made by the committee under Dr Johl are now different in the way that they have proposed a subsidy of Rs12,500 per hectare for farmers who take to crops other than wheat and rice. A huge sum of Rs 1280 crore is expected from the Centre. According to Dr Johl, it should not be difficult as the Centre is suffering a whopping loss of Rs9000 crore by way of handling, transportation and storage of excess foodgrains. The suggestion has been the focus of criticism by experts who view it as impracticable. According to them even farmers who did not sow rice and wheat earlier would claim the subsidy. Moreover, it will result in corruption as has happened in the case of subsidies given in the past. Critics say the suggestion to withdraw area from the rice-wheat rotation is a means of buying time; perhaps it may take additional 15 years to apply brakes and reverse the system. Indian Agricultural Research Institute experts say a switch over of 1 million hectares from rice-wheat to other crops in a single year is rather impossible. Not only that, they also have apprehension about the Centre’s doling funds for giving subsidy to the growers not opting for rice and wheat. They say to suggest to diversify is a good strategy, but it may not be an immediate solution, it being utopian in nature. They are for diversification under a system that should sustain it economically. In the rabi season gram can replace wheat over a large area. Rice-gram is a good rotation. The yield obtained from gram after rice is 30 quintals per hectare whereas it is merely 8-10 quintals if it follows cotton. There are good varieties of kabli gram also available. Pusa 1088 and Pusa 1053 have yielded up to 45 quintals per hectare. The highest productivity of wheat achieved so far was 47 quintals. The procurement price of gram is Rs1,200 per quintal as against Rs620 per quintal of wheat (there are reports of gram MSP being further increased). The market price of kabli gram is Rs3000 per quintal. The replacement of wheat by gram will help save foreign exchange. India is at present spending Rs3155 crore on import of 21.77 lakh tonnes of pulses, out of which 10 lakh tonnes is gram. Farmers have already burnt their fingers in growing sunflower, area under its cultivation now being negligible. The prospects for replacing rice crop in the kharif season in the immediate future are, however, bleak. Maize as a winter crop was introduced mainly for seed production. It takes one and a half months more than wheat to mature. It is an equally exhaustive crop. Its MSP is Rs485 per quintal as against Rs580 (including bonus) of ‘A’ grade paddy commonly grown in Punjab. The yield of maize is half of paddy. Groundnut, arhar and bajra are not satisfying to Punjab growers, both because of their low profitability and being labour intensive. There are problems of marketing of sugarcane. Growers have yet to recover the sale proceeds from sugar mills for the past three years. Therefore, experts strongly recommend varietal diversification. A large area after identifying suitable zones can be put under basmati. High-yielding basmati varieties like Pusa Basmati-1, Pusa Sugandh-2 and Pusa Sugandh-3 which have a short crop duration, high yield, very good grain, cooking and eating quality and non-lodging attributes. Their yield potential being from 20 to 26 quintals per hectare and their returns being higher than paddy, farmers will easily adopt them. However, the government should guarantee the price to growers, there being no procurement policy for basmati. It can be easily done as basmati has a vast export potential. There is a need to draw up a long-term policy to achieve diversification. In the short run, some area can be brought under vegetables, floriculture, forestry and fodder also. |
|
It’s not simply about more varieties A random survey (more than 80 typical farmers and 25 agricultural extension workers/technocrats working in different districts, and more than 15 political workers), carried out by the author during the second fortnight of September, indicated that the term “agricultural/crop diversification” has not been understood properly at any level. Most of the people who matter (administrators, politicians and even some technocrats) also remain interested only in profitability (may be a short-term gain). All this, in spite of the fact that whenever any agricultural production, procurement, marketing and distribution crises arise, most often generalised recommendation given to the farmers is that they should bring in crop diversification by shifting some areas from rice and wheat-based farming system to some other crop(s)/ farming system(s). Since some of the generalised diversification plans recommended earlier did not provide adequate guidance about “when, how and where” to implement them, they were never adopted by the farmers. An agricultural diversification plan should ensure the shifting of areas from one cropping system (e.g. rice-wheat) to another appropriately selected site/zone/region. Specific and demand-driven cropping/farming systems should be adopted, keeping in view the suitability of soil, water, and other agro-ecological conditions. This can help in sustaining productivity of food grain (cereals, pulses, etc.) and non-food grain products that are nutritionally rich, like fruits, vegetables, edible oils, milk, meat, or eggs, and other high-value crops so as to ensure food, nutrition, socio-economic and profit security. At the same time it will conserve natural resources. Cropping system-specific judicious management of inputs like water, fertiliser, pesticides and energy should ensure cost-effective and eco-efficient production. The system has also to be integrated with motivation and training of farmers, and state-of-the-art agro-industry, quality control and marketing systems. Achievement of long-term/sustainable success in diversification will depend upon the adoption of participatory planning on part of both administration and farmer. Also required will be implementation systems with in-built win-win public and private sector support for producing demand-driven quality products that are acceptable domestically as well as globally. This necessitates the development of effective farmer-scientist-industry-NGO-public sector linkages, starting from the site of production till the product reaches the consumer. Implementation of such a wholesome agricultural diversification approach, in addition to enhancing on-farm and non-farm employment generation, will ensure sustainability in the improvement of farm economy. Only shifting of areas from one crop to another based upon generalised (state level) recommendations will not be a long-term solution of the problem (not even by compensating the farmers monetarily). |
|
While the pot boils, a look at specifics... DIVERSIFICATION in agriculture is possible and essential to save the crumbling agriculture economy and environment of Punjab. However the process and strategies of making it happen are not as easy as said. People who are actual players in the field have a definite mindset and conditioned behaviour. Conducive conditions are another aspect. Suggestion alone is not the solution to the problem. We need to think of practical and workable strategies. First of all, it must be understood that diversification is a dynamic phenomenon and can be multidimensional. In the present context, there may be two-pronged diversification: 1) crop-wise diversification and 2) area-wise diversification. Crop-wise diversification is related to crops outside the normal cycle of paddy and wheat and also to the shift from one variety of rice and/or wheat to some other variety that can be more useful and relevant. Area-wise diversification is that certain areas may be identified for one set of crops while other areas for another. An added advantage of this type of diversification may be in the form of marketing management. The following suggestions may be considered for area-wise diversification:
|
|
|
ASPARAGUS, or Sahansarmuli, is a small statured and yet interesting plant. It grows on its own in the wild all over India and beyond. Being effective in healing a number of human and animal ailments, it is of tremendous utility to mankind since time immemorial. Literally speaking, asparagus is the scientific (Latin) name for the genus of some seven small herbs comprising the plant family Liliaceae, growing naturally and in the wild all over the Indian subcontinent from 300 to 1500 m above mean sea level. Of these, Asparagus racemosus is the most prominent in size as well as medicinal value. Sahansarmuli is a 1 to 1.5-metre high perennial herb that’s upright like a miniature Christmas tree. Its upper leafy half is like a typical pyramid. It is a much-branched plant having a woody terete (section circular) stem and needle-like yellowish green foliage. The main stem is thumb-thick at ground level. Some of its vernacular names other than sahansarmuli are shatawari, shatamuli, shatavar, sahanspal, and sainsarbuti. In North India asparagus is found growing sporadically in the Shivaliks of Dehradun, Ambala, Una, Chamba, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Kullu, Solan, etc. Its natural habitat starts from China and goes over India, Afghanistan and beyond. Asparagus has small and sharp spines. These are stout, straight and densely crowded. Its leaves are small and light green in colour. Asparagus flowers two to three times in a year. The inflorescence appearing during August to November, however, has better medicinal value. Arranged in the form of cuprous racemes, individual flowers are branched and yet simple. These are small, white and mildly fragrant. The asparagus plant fruits during December-January. The fruit is globose and measures nearly 0.8 cm along the diameter. Composition-wise these are 3 lobed berries having one seed in each lobe. Fresh shoots of sahansarmuli are succulent. These make excellent dishes in the hands of expert cooks. It is, therefore, no wonder that knowledgeable Indians regard asparagus as a sacred plant. It is considered especially auspicious for decorating the “toaran (a ceremonial gate temporarily raised on the outer limit of a household / premises).” So far as its medicinal value is concerned, the tuberous root of asparagus contains multi-utility asparagine, saponin, etc. The herb is used as such in preparing a number of ayurvedic and Unani medicines, named in trade as shatavarighrita, Narayana taila, Vishnu taila, satamulyadiloha, shatavaripanak, etc. In ordinary culinary practice, dishes made of asparagus leaves or root act as appetiser, diuretic, aphrodisiac, laxative as well as astringent. The preparations are supposed to be helpful against diarrhoea, leprosy, throat cancer, etc. These are also added to the diet for nursing mothers. Crushed roots if taken in hot milk are believed to enhance libido, vitality and hormonal strength. It is also an important ingredient of certain medicines prescribed for lessening fatigue, senility, pruritus, etc. The asparagus fruit is edible. It contains B-sitosterol, sarsarapogenin, eliosgenin, etc. Accordingly, depending upon the finesse with which asparagus roots are collected, dried and stored, these can fetch something like Rs 70 to 100 per kg. However, in the absence of awareness on the subject amongst agriculturists as well as traders, most farmers feed the green plant and its roots to milch cattle. That increases the milk yield. In economical cultivation this plant does best in a well-drained, sandy loam soil. Liberal use of fertiliser enhances the yield. The species can be propagated both by sowing the seed directly in the field or raising a nursery and then transplanting, and even by planting root suckers. It can be grown profitably on slopes less favourable for other crops. Frequent watering can ensure better survival and yield. Transplanting of the nursery stock is best done during monsoon. So far as provision of state subsidy for cultivating asparagus and guidance to cultivators for marketing the yield are concerned, medicinal plants and herbs boards have been instituted at the Union Capital as well as state headquarters, generally under the Ayurveda Ministry, that can be contacted. |
 |
 |
ree talk
The Government of India has recently launched a drive for cultivation of medicinal herbs. It notified a list of 16 important herbs and plants that farmers can raise under state patronage with subsidies for the internal market as well as export. Asparagus happens to be at serial number two of this notification.