Points for Consideration

• Irrigation and better water management, including eliminating harmful runoff of excess fertilizer and pesticides etc into underground and surface water bodies. Today Agriculture consumes 75 percent of available water, versus 7 percent for domestic consumption and 18 percent for industry. Hence, even a 50 percent reduction in agricultural water consumption will greatly improve (over five times) water availability for domestic consumption. Our farmers today see water as a free entitlement and are therefore quite wasteful in their use of water. Nothing should be expected for free, some charges, even if somewhat subsidized, must be collected to at least cover the maintenance costs of water supply schemes. This will ensure implementation of better ways to use the water. We should learn from Israel. (See- “Water Crisis-the Solution”).
• Intensive cultivation – hybrid and fortified varieties including those from revived traditional seed varieties and, from proper GM and gene editing Technology. Certified seeds, soil conservation and better agro advisory services. Again we should learn from Israel.
• Work to prevent loss of topsoil and even improve it by taking up composting, mulching, other organic fertilizers, vermiculture and also, ‘No till’ farming, in which the new seeds are planted using seed drills and fertilizer deposited via injectors or drip irrigation. Encouraging tree farming (horticulture and orchards) will increase water retention and improve soil fertility.
• Increased productivity – consolidation of fragmented “small” holdings and Mechanization, all affording the benefits from economies of scale.
• Research to convert seasonal crops into perennial crops which hold soil and need less water due to their deep roots.(See – Work of Jerry Glover at the Land Institute, Kansas USA.) Also, revive and encourage the cultivation of Millets, bajra and other traditional crops and their increased use in our diet.
• Proper logistics chain for effective movement from ‘farm to fork’ – cold stores / transportation / retail chains and, allow the farmer to market his produce where and as he deems fit, even as exports need governmental controls.
• Government Institutions for soil testing, seed development, extension training to farmers etc must be made more effective.
• Encouraging entrepreneurs to set up MSME units to manufacture and maintain all types of agro machines and build facilities for sorting, packing and storage.

To meet the projected Agri / Horticultural demands for an ever growing population, with an ever reducing number of labourers for Agricultural work, it becomes vital for us in India to take up Irrigation Projects and encourage mechanized farming much more determinedly and in a more productive and sustainable manner than heretofore, but on a scale workable, individually or as Corporations / Agri businesses,in which share holding mostly restricted to locals (with land extent of between 50 to 1000 hectares depending on soil conditions and irrigation potential and whether in the hills or plains, and allowing for economy of operation), not extraordinarily large mono crop industrial farms as in the USA and Australia. Consolidation / Pooling and equitable sharing would be essential for those farmers with very small holdings.

There are many stories of Indian farmers who have been innovative in adapting and improving traditional agro practices and who have been able to increase their production per acre many fold, from even marginal soils, using less water, fertilizer and other resources and retaining the soil fertility at good levels and nurturing plant diversity and using sustainable and environment friendly agro practices. We need to recognize and reward (not only financially) such inspiring and innovative farmers and widely disseminate knowledge of their methods to attain such success, for emulation by others. (See-Annexure). We need to note that today organic farming uses more resources than are usually recognized, fields to grow the fodder for the cattle that produce the manure that becomes the fertilizer, and so on, and not just jump on to a nice seeming ‘band-wagon’. Of course incorporating dairy, apiary, and pisciculture into such Corporate farms can also, be considered. Also, the over use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides etc should be avoided and ancient natural practices encouraged wherever possible.

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