Agriculture department has a roadmap for the new government

NEW DELHI: Unshackle the markets by promoting pledge finance or removing trade barriers is what the agriculture department is said to have pointed in a presentation to the Cabinet Secretary on Wednesday. The presentation which was made in a run up to the government formation next week also pointed that low cost credit to farmers, direct cash transfers, expansion of irrigation reach and addressing soil fertility was the way forward for the Indian farmer.

Giving a broad line on the agriculture department achievement since the past five years and how it looks to move ahead, Agriculture secretary Ashish Bahuguna is said to have slated that the aim of the department was to ensure food security, sustainability and see an increase in farm income in the coming years. The major shortcomings according to the departments’ presentation remained undue focus on fine cereals, restrictive markets, large yield gap and limited research and development breakthrough.


Trade restriction, unviable size of land holding and over dependence on agriculture were also the key issues which had not been addressed by an iron fist. In the presentation, the agriculture department has said that it was time to address issues on land consolidation, repeal of land ceiling and economics of leasing or contract farming. Apart from it revisiting the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee Act which regulates the mandis in the country and projecting agriculture through end-to-end value chains with the help of aggregators were others proposals to liberate the current market.

Official’s privy to the presentation told ETthat it was felt that direct cash transfer on unit area basis instead of fertiliser subsidy should be implemented to address soil fertility issue. Further, farmers could be given incentive for adoption of resource conservation technology. With over two third of the 44 million hectare arable land rain fed in the country, Bahuguna in his presentation highlighted that increasing irrigation coverage and water use efficiently was required.

A shift to direct cash transfer on unit area basis and promoting pulses and perishable in public distribution schemes and mid days meals was also imperative to ensure remunerative prices to farmers. Bearing the maximum risk of poor weather and volatile markets, introduction of innovative insurance products on optional basis and improving and increasing risk cover for farmers could be able to mitigate or reduce risk for farmers felt the department.

Even with major achievements of ensuring self-sufficiency in food grain production, the agriculture department is slated to have said that the major failure was that the country had one of the highest malnutrition problem in the world. The farm incomes were still far below nonfarm income and high prices especially for perishable items remained. In the presentation the department highlighted that even with over exploitation of natural resources we were still import dependent particularly for edible oil and pulses.