Reach the Unreached
Jyotsana Raheja
"Branded Content Visionary | Leadership Strategist | Consulting Expert | Editor Extraordinaire | Sustainability Advocate | Strategic Partnership Builder"
In this era of mechanization, when we say there is technology boon in the country, the big Question arises: Who is benefited out of it? The real worker on the ground is dying: Who is responsible for his plight?
These days we are frequently hearing the rising number of farmer’s suicide cases. Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh are among the two states which have the highest farmer suicide rates followed by Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. As per the current statistics, State-wise, Maharashtra accounted for the highest number of farmer suicides (2568) distantly followed by Telangana (898), Madhya Pradesh (825), and Chhattisgarh (443) and Karnataka (321). These five states together accounted for about 90 per cent of total farmer suicides.
There is a wide array of factors that has led to the increasing spate of farmer suicides in India. The major concerns are:
We all know and always say that technology plays a key role in addressing all the above concerns. But is this technology reaching the major field worker completely? We are focusing on developing latest applications, mobile and tab based apps, web portals and more, but is the Indian Farmer educated enough to use this technology. The benefits of this technology can only be enjoyed if we reach the ground. Certain solutions which can help farmers are:
Certain actions are been taken recently by the Governments which if implemented truly can be useful in the development of the country. Some of them are:
- The Government is implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme “National e-Governance Plan in Agriculture (NeGP-A)” in the entire country. The Programme aims to achieve rapid development of agriculture in India through ICT enabled multiple delivery channels such as Internet, Government Offices, Touch Screen Kiosks, Krishi Vigyan Kendras , Kisan Call Centres, Agri-Clinics, Common Service Centers, Mobile Phones (Broadcast, IVRS, interactive messaging using unstructured Supplementary Service Data and Voice Recognition for ensuring timely access to agriculture related information for the farmers of the country. A number of applications in agriculture and allied sector have been developed under the project for providing integrated ICT based services to farmers.
- The government has started taking necessary steps to implement direct transfer of fertiliser subsidy to farmers in order to reduce leakages.
- Bombay High Court has suggested Maharashtra government to provide space to farmers in government markets so that they can directly sell their produce to consumers, thereby eliminating middlemen.
- Andhra Pradesh eyes completion of 8 minor irrigation projects in 2 years.
- Government may soon launch programme to boost pulses cultivation. Concerned over the drastic fall in pulses and oilseeds production across the globe which has affected the domestic market, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken an initiative to launch a dedicated programme to promote the sowing of key agri commodities.
- Israel technology of "protective agriculture" is implemented in states like Haryana to increase their crop yields while using fertiliser and water optimally followed by Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and even Tamil Nadu.
- Sikandar Meeranayak’s innovative borewell recharge technology is transforming agriculture in the arid North Karnataka region.
- BAIF’s wadi programme combines agri-forestry, horticulture, and fodder and is designed to help small and marginal farmers with between 1 and 3 acres of land move towards better income security.
If we talk about state Maharashtra, which has about 50 per cent population directly dependent on agriculture and makes use of traditional methods of farming experience the highest suicide rate of farmers. The other side of the story focus on the increasing development in the state with large number of technology projects like Crop Pest Surveillance and Advisory Project (CROPSAP), Micro irrigation scheme implementation: e-Thibak. The state is among the three largest producing states of important crops like Maize, Coarse cereals, pulses, sugarcane and cotton. Similar pattern is also observed in other states like Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh which are among the largest producers for Rice.
This clearly indicates that there is potential to grow, availability of resources and technology, the need is to imbibe it in our farm activities and reach the masses.
Looking forward for your opinions.
Consultant Agronomist, Former Director of Research & Dean, SK Rajasthan Agricultural University, Bikaner, India
9 年This brief background note on farmer"s suicides in some states of the country is well introduced, indicating probable causes and remedies in a scholarly manner.The networking of issues in the causative domain and those in the curative domain related to farming and farmer"s suicides is excellent. But the issue is why agriculture is so badly failing . Why are the farmers not capable of making sufficient income from their crops, their precious lands? The basic reasons should be traced to the basics of farming-the agroecological farming. Use of chemicals, be they fertilizers, pesticides or any other agrochemicals, should be made only on sound diagnosis of the problems, and their usage should be minimum in proportions. At present , the reverse is happening in most cases , and the health of the soil has deteriorated badly. Soils are sick indeed. A sick soil cannot sustain farming and farm income.The debate on farming and farmer"s suicides cannot be resolved by a single approach, but certainly the primary approach must be identified in order to initiate actions to resolve the problem in foreseeable future.In my opinion, first and foremost, profitable agriculture has to be bio-intensive from sustainability standpoint. Chemical-intensive agriculture cannot be sustainable nor profitable as an enterprise.Linking agriculture strongly to eco-efficiency has to be done immediately. This is particularly more urgent now in the wake of climate change threatening prospects of sustainable agriculture and income security for the resource-poor farmers in the country.
Advisory Lead-HarvestPlus Solutions |Ex-PwC| Ex- Monsanto | Agri-consulting |Food processing | Policy formulation & implementation | ESG
9 年Nice article....Agriculture is dependent on vagaries of nature. It is always the farmer who suffers from any erratic change in weather condition. He borrows money from moneylenders at high interest rate and being unable to repay it due to crop failure commits suicide. There are n no. Of projects going on in ICT for providing better extension services to farmers but reality is altogether different. How much the bottom of the pyramid is benefitted? I think not even 5%. GoI has scheme for increasing acreage under pulses named ISOPOM. In recent years food grain production has achieved new heights but marketing is a measure issue. Farmer's share in consumers rupee is bare minimum. Ongoing schemes of agriculture marketing like ISAM has been stopped due to lack of fund by govt. We need to bring in more cultivable land under irrigation from rainfed or life support irrigation. Unless the theory of lab to land is implemented nothing can happen.