Agriculture-led Strategies for Livelihood

Security of Rural Poor

Prof. Ram Pratap Singh

Former Vice- Chancellor
M. P. University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur
(Rajasthan)
&
Chairman
Narendradeva Institute for Development of Agriculture and
Rural Upliftment
(NIDAR)
Barabanki, India

Presented on the Occasion of

International Seminar on the strategies for Improving
Livelihood Security of Rural Poor

September 24-27, 2008

Organized by
International Society of Extension Education Nagpur, Maharashtra
Held at
ICAR Research Complex for Goa, India
 Agriculture-led Strategies for Livelihood
Security of Rural Poor
Prof. Ram Pratap Singh
Former Vice- chancellor
Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur (Rajasthan)
&
Chairman
Narendradeva Institute for Development of Agriculture and Rural Upliftment
Barabanki, India

Agriculture provides sustenance to two-third of India’s population, which has crossed more than
one billion and still growing. Agriculture and allied activities contribute 25 percent to its GDP.
However, with decreasing share of agriculture to GDP is resulting into rural poverty and people are
faced with the livelihood problem. The rural poverty and livelihood issue is aggravated by rising
standards and cost of living at one end and on the other shrinking land holdings, steadily rising
input costs, globalization and associated liberalization of markets and demand of competitiveness
in unit cost of production, quality and ability to market produce and primary processed products
without excessive post-harvest losses. Factors of demand and supply, poor PH-infrastructure,
markets and the forces that intervene the agriculture markets usually create slump in the market
price whenever there is a bumper harvest of any crop or commodity. Orchestrated distress sales,
denying growers remunerative prices, compels the farmers to shift over to the crop and commodity,
which in turn creates scarcity and soaring consumer prices. A vicious cycle that does not seem to be
ever ending to the detriment of growers and consumers’ interest.

The agriculture will continue to be the engine of the national growth and development. Rapid and
balanced growth of agriculture is thus essential not only to achieve self-reliance at national level
but also for household food security and to bring about equity in distribution of income and wealth
resulting in rapid reduction in poverty among the rural poor. The Green Revolution process based
on the synergy of advanced technology, effective policies and desired political will ushered in the
mid 1960’s, followed by white, yellow and blue revolutions, almost tripled the agricultural
production, halved the real price of major food grains and other food items, increased the per capita
food consumption by 30 percent, more than doubled per capita GDP, and halved the percentages of
undernourished and rural poor. India is one of the world leaders in the production of milk, rice,
wheat, fruits, vegetables, cotton, sugarcane, poultry and fish. It is poised to achieve an all-time high
of 220 million tons of food grains production. Vastness of India and agro-climatic diversity enables
it to produce wide range of crops and commodities. It has succeeded achieving quantum jumps in
production and productivity of almost all crops and animal products. The Green Revolution has
fatigued and an imbalance exists among total production, national food security and household and
individual level food security.

Independent India has been fortunate to have visionary leaders who always assigned due priority to
agriculture. Pt. Nehru’s “Everything else can wait but not agriculture”, Shri Shastri’s “Jai Jawan Jai
Kisan” and Shri Vajpayee’s “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan” pronouncements are eloquent
testimony to the nation’s commitment. The present and past Presidents of India have invariably

1
lauded the pivotal role of scientists, farmers, policy makers and politicians in ushering the Green
Revolution.

Food insecurity among the rural poor in India is a mirror image of poverty. It emphasizes that while
adequate and sustained production and physical and timely access to food-two important
components of food security, must be maintained and further consolidated for livelihood security of
rural poor, the third component i.e. economic access to food is the critical component in Indian
context. Growth, which is not accompanied by the improvement of the Social Fabric of society,
will be only a hollow shell.

Rural India accounts for nearly 60 percent of the country’s house hold consumption, and thereby,
represents the largest potential market demanding immediate attention in our efforts to project the
country as a global force in terms of agriculture and economy. Sustainable development can be
realized only when economic growth benefits the poor and underprivileged section of the
population, the of which live in rural areas covering rural poor in sizable proportion..

THE CHALLENGES FOR LIVELIHOOD SECURITY OF RURAL POOR

Besides food security and poverty, Indian Agriculture is facing the following
major Challenges:

• Incidence of hunger and poverty in rural India and increasing rural-urban divide,

• By 2020, agricultural production must increase more that 50 percent and mostly through
yield and enhancement and increase in cropping intensely, coupled with sustainability.

• Decelerating agricultural growth rate, declining total factor productivity, low, oscillating
and stagnating yield and productivity of major commodities,

• The widening disparities between the irrigated and rainfed areas and huge yield gaps,
especially in the vast rainfed areas (60 percent of the total cultivated area).

• Shrinking and degrading production resources and intensifying biotic and abiotic stresses,
including climate change and environmental pollution, water and fertilizer use efficiency,

• Declining capital formation and all-time low investment in agriculture, leading

unemployment,

• Poor competitiveness of Indian Agriculture in the Globalize and liberalized market (WTO)
and inadequate institutional support, and fragile linkages,

• Inadequate regulatory and legislative provisions, Poor trade and overall agricultural
policies.

• Sluggish and imbalanced agricultural research, education and technology development and
the globalization of Indian economy has opened up many opportunities and challenges to
the policy makers and the rural population.

• Low productivity of land, water and other factors of production, besides unequal household
income, these maladies have critical implications on rural population, which constitutes
2
 over two-thirds of total population of the country most of whom are engaged in agriculture.

• The unequal pace of growth in farm and non-farm sectors, in temporal as well as cross
sectional dimension, creates a serious rural-urban divide.

• Notwithstanding the agricultural growth due to successes of green revolution, about one in
every four persons in the country still lives below the poverty line.

• More than 300 millions earn less than dollar per capita per day. More technological
innovations, productivity enhancing practices, and supportive policy interventions required
in the rural areas to alleviate the society from the grip of poverty as insecurity among rural
poor.

• Modern agriculture demands more and newer knowledge almost on continuum basis to
meet the challenges of rapidly changing nature and composition of the technology.

• Due to lack of supportive policy framework and required backup services, the gap between
the potentiality and the achievement remains far from convergence.

• Access to information and building managerial capability of rural people have become
crucial strategies are required to effectively reaching out to the target groups and for
uplifting rural India to achieve the millennium development goals (MDG).

BREAKING THE NEXUS OF FOOD INSECURITY AMONG RURAL POOR

All men are made and born equal. The human genomics also confirms it. Genomically, often the so
called “unequal” are more equal than the equals among themselves. But depending on the location,
circumstances and environment, they all grow up differently, live differently and die differently.
This inequity is thus often man made. Willy Brandt had said “the problems created by men and can
be solved by men”. Our Bhagvad Geeta expressed the same sentiment by stressing “whatever man
aspires to that he can accomplish”. This truth is amply demonstrated by the halving of food
insecurity and poverty in India (despite more than doubling of the population during the past 35
years) by ushering in the Green Revolution through the synergistic interplay of science-based
technology development, the farmers determination and political will. Hon’ble K.R. Narayan, our
Ex-President, during the Golden Jubilee celebrations of our independence, had said “Thanks to the
agricultural scientists that we have
won much greater bottle for food at the home front. Today, we can raise our head with great pride.
The Green Revolution was perhaps the most significant achievement since independence”.
Drawing from our past success, basing on our vast natural resources, recognizing that there are vast
yield and productivity gaps, prospects of harnessing various technological break throughs and
unprecedented information sharing and communication possibilities, availability of trained
scientists and other human resources, most importantly the resilience and commitment of our over
100 million farming house holds and above all, the demonstrated highest level political and will as
elaborated by our Hon’ble President and Prime Minister, our success in smashing the unholy nexus
of food insecurity, poverty and environmental degradation by transforming the Green Revolution
into an Evergreen Revolution.

The National Policy (NPA), the first ever announced in July 2000, seeks to bride the yield
productivity and production gaps and sustainable improve rural employment opportunities, income,
equity, livelihood security and environmental security. Strategically, the policy envisages:
 3
promotion of sustainable agriculture through a regionally differentiated approach, generation and
transfer of technology, improvement of input use efficiency, incentives for agriculture,
strengthening of institutional infrastructure, risk management and management reforms.

A three pronged attack, namely, (i) maintenance and consolidation of the grains made in the past,
(ii) extending the grains to the areas so far largely deprived of the gains viz. rainfed areas and
several important bur neglected commodities such as pulses and oilseeds and (iii) enlarging the
levels of potential productivity and profitability, including increased emphasis on post-harvest
management, processing, value additional and marketing.

CHANGING CONTEXT FOR RURAL ECONOMY

Strengthening the agri-industrial base of the country will also be beneficial in preventing
population shift from rural areas to urban areas, improving economic condition of the rural people,
promoting entrepreneurship and in generating employment in rural areas. Having become aware of
the vast potential of promoting agri-business in rural India. Some of the corporate houses have
taken a lead by establishing processing units and strengthening marketing activities in rural areas
and the initial response seems to be a quite encouraging. However growers have no share in value-
addition to their produce and by-products. Large part of year their family labour remained
unemployed or under employed. Landless often migrate in search of wage earning dislocating
education of children. It has brought post-harvest technology and agro-processing at the centre
stage. Scientists, policy makers and development agencies are looking towards rural food and agro-
processing as a tool for additional income and employment to the rural people. There are
production and productivity related issues constraints too that impede acceleration in agro-
processing and value addition activities. Many of our crop varieties are tailored for table grade use,
when used for processing the product recoveries tend to be low, much lower than the strains and
varieties available with the world leaders. Crop scientists under NARS are now addressing to it.
Rainfalls in India are largely unimodal concentrated in just a few months. Crops have to be
irrigated which means additional cost.

Knowledge-based Development

As high competitiveness is a priority in the globalized world and much of it, is underpinned by
information revolution, increasingly knowledge will substitute monetary inputs. Technology
packages largely will become knowledge-based. The existing agricultural technology development
and transfer system in India, including the human resources and infrastructures, are outmoded,
causing serious technology gaps and slippage. The extension and technology transfer system must
be updated and the huge urban-rural digital divide must be narrowed. A crash training and skill
development programme and establishment programme and establishment of rural information
centres must assume high priority. Such programmes would particularly be attractive to the rural
youth, who are mostly unemployed or underemployed.

Revitalizing the Indian Agricultural Research

Quality and relevance of agricultural research and technology development of the Indian system,
which is one of the largest in the world, needs revitalization. The system must be debueracratised.
Effective linkages between the Centre and the States, among public-private-NGO-CSO systems and
among research-education-extension-farmer market must be established and strengthened.

4
In administrative terms, transparency and governance with quick decisions and disposals are
absolutely essential. Decentralization coupled with accountability, responsibility, and authority will
be essential. For this, an effective monitoring and evaluation mechanism should be
institutionalized. Personnel policy and human resources development and deployment procedures
must promote excellence in science, quality research and science-led growth of agriculture in the
country. As the Indian agriculture in this millennium stands at cross roads, the malady must be
remedied by respecting merit, encouraging bright scientists and promoting good and productive
science.

Employment Security and Harnessing the Youth Power

Unemployment and underemployment are one of the main causes of poverty and deprivation, and
often led to social unrest, at times threatening political stability and peace. And, this linkage will be
even stronger with the rising expectations and aspirations in the global village. It is increasingly
obvious that the economic entitlement, as eloquently emphasized by Nobelaureate Amartya Sen, is
the key to food, economic and social security. Creation of jobs for all is not a question of
possibility. It is a question of necessity and effective action. “ As freedom has finally been
recognized as an inalienable. As enunciated in the millennium goal, all nations must strive to
achieve “food, health, education and jobs for all”. A paradigm shift in attitude and approach is
required for accomplishing the above goal. It is often seen that generally those who primarily
depend on agriculture or their employment, trade income and overall livelihood, are relatively more
food insecure and economically vulnerable. Thus, a two-pronged approach is called for alleviating
the problem. Firstly, agriculture must be rendered more productive, competitive and ruminative.
Secondly, the agriculture economy and agricultural education and skill development should be
diversified, upgraded and adjusted to enhance employment security. . Mass production by masses
and not by machine should be the approach in labour-surplus developing countries to promote rural
poor’s prosperities. India must create 100 million new jobs in the short and medium term to
overcome the unemployment crises. The population “bulge” reveals that India has perhaps the
largest youth mass in the world.

The unprecedented progress in science, technology, democratization and partnership building have
already proven the efficacy of compressing the time scale of development and present still greater
moments for creativity. We must capture these uncommon opportunities for promoting job-led
economic growth, rooted in the principles of ecology, equity and sustainability in order to lively
hood security

As experienced in China and several other East and South East Asian countries, effective Action
Plan and its implementation for improving employment security is fundamental to our fight against
hunger and poverty. In India, agriculture must lead this movement. Promotion of small enterprises,
skill upgradation marketing improvement, expansion of services, development and promotion of
exports under the WTO regime, creation of innovative organizational and management capacities
and improved commercial systems in the market place, extending basic education especially in
rural areas and particularly to girls dissemination of information and making full use of the newly
established Kisan Call Centres, increased velocity and ease of money and other transactions and
employment planning by identifying new and untapped growth and employment potentials in
agriculture, allied and other industries, export and services must receive high priority in the national
planning and deployment of resources.

Realizing the implications of Agreement on Agriculture for developing countries like India under
WTO on broad clauses of market access, aggregate measure of support and export subsidy and
dominating role of developed countries in subsequent negotiations in the five ministerial
 5
conferences, Government of India has initiated steps to protect the interest of farming community
in general and small and marginal farmers and landless labourers in particular. The launching of
toll free call centres to resolve the day to day problems of farmers, extension of agricultural
technology through separate agricultural T.V. channel, reduction in interest rate for agricultural
credits, packages being promoted by NABARD for self-employment by agricultural graduates
through agriclinics and agri-business centres, subsidized farm income insurance scheme with
special benefits for small and marginal farmers, development of commodity specific agri-export
zones and establishment of National Commission on Farmers etc. are some steps taken by the
Government in the recent past.

Managing and Coping with Natural Disasters

About one-third of the world’s damage caused by natural disasters, specially droughts and floods
occurs in India. Prevention, mitigation, risk management and contingency plans, technology
packages, and input should be strategically positioned and delivered swiftly as per the need. Group
and participatory action, especially the Self-Help groups, micro financing and seed and fodder
banks must be promoted.

Supply Chain of Agricultural Commodities

Supply chain of agricultural commodities is varied. There could be 6-10 hand exchanges before
primary processed commodity like pulse or vegetable oil may reach to the rural consumer. About 3-
5 hands exchange in gathering, storage and transporting agriculture produce to the millers and
exchange before the milled product is purchased by the consumer. The consumer pays heavily and
the producer usually oblige with non-remunerative prices but a thriving chain of middlemen.

Post Harvest, Food and Agro-Processing Industry

India’s food processing mainly involves primary processing which accounts for 80 percent of the
value. As much as 42 percent of the food industry in the organized sector and 33 percent in the
small scale, tiny and cottage sector which are beset with problems of inefficiencies of high cost,
scale dis-economics and inadequate logistic support. Under National Agricultural Research System
(NARS) including ICAR institutes and State Agriculture
Universities, a large number of equipment and technologies have been evolved which have also
been rigorously evaluated and many of them are already commercialized. Apart from these
Institutions, other research and development organizations, cooperatives and also industrial sectors
have also evolved many useful technologies and have come out with the agro-processing models.
However, many of the organized sectors processing plants are imported on turn-key basis not
necessarily most modern. Harvest and post-harvest losses are excessive. About 10-12 percent of
food grains, 20-40 percent of fruits and vegetables, 10-12 percent of milk, meat, poultry and fish
amounting to about Rs. 87,000 crore are lost every year. With the available technologies post-
harvest losses can be reduced to half i.e. about Rs 43,500 crore. Measures involve timely harvest,
use of right kind of harvesting and threshing equipment, protection against adverse weather
conditions, safe storage, prophylactic and curative measures to check insect infestation, chilling and
use of appropriate cold chain for fruits and vegetables and other perishables.

Shelling, Decortications and Drying

On- farm dehusking, shelling and decortications add value to the produce; reduces handling,
transport and storages costs, at the same time make the product more presentable in the market in
the form preferred by the consumer/buyers. As number of manual and power operated dehuskers,
 6
shellers and decorticators have been developed and are available in the market. These need to be
popularized. Drying and dehydration are low cost and effective methods practiced all over the
world to protect produced and by-product from moisture damage or transform them in to value
added products using sun, shade, heated air, or heated surface drying methods. There are numerous
designs of dryers in different capacities available suiting to different applicants. Leaving a few
batch, and recirculatory grain dryers and tray dryer for fruit and vegetable dryer used in mills and
processing plants, mechanical dryers are not in use , though there is considerable damage,
discoloration of food grains and oilseed due to excess moisture. A number of dryers have been
developed under NARS. Dryers need to be extended for on-farm and market level use. Commonly
dehydrated products are prunes and resins, chilies, peas, okra, potato flour, Banana chips, cassava
chips, green and ripe mango slices leather, badi etc.

Storage

Scientific storage-room, warehouses storage bins, or CAP storage give capacity to the growers to
negotiate with the forces of marketing and earn 25-20 percent higher easily. Beside improved
domestic storages like Hapur Kothi safely store food grain at domestic level and allow fumigation
in the event of infection. AICRP on Post-Harvest Technology has developed low cost on farm
storage structures.

Making Gray Areas Green

In order to achieve Evergreen Revolution, we now need to lay special emphasis on rainfed
agriculture so as to make these gray areas green. This is critical for substantially improved
livelihood security and income of resource poor farmers who have no possibility for risk
management unless practices of diversified agriculture are adopted- such as silvipastoral approach
through crop livestock integration, agri-horticulture, (ex- Maharashtra), agro-forestry – mainly
growing of trees around bunds (ex- poplar) or in the fields (ex- khejri). Crop and livestock
insurance and linking farmers to markets (LFM) need to be the major strategic policy
interventions by the Governments.

Promoting Inland Aquaculture

India has done exceedingly well over the last five decades in the field of inland aquaculture. While
growth on marine fish production is globally on a decline, including very slow growth in India, we
have shown remarkable growth rate (4-5 percent) in the field of inland aquaculture contributing to
almost 55 percent of total fish production, which is around 6.0 mt. This also resulted in a major
export of shrimp and fish abroad (around US$ 1 billion annually), which indeed is a remarkable
achievement. States like Gujrat, Haryana, M.P., Rajasthan are showing good progress besides, the
leading state Andhra Pradesh. Much can be done in this sector but would require special thrust,
both, on research and development side- including support for the production and supply of quality
seed, rural based fish processing, packing and cold storage facilities and transportation as well as
export promotion/ internal market oriented efforts. Other states can learn from the progressive fish
farmers of Andhra Pradesh as to how they succeeded in linking with markets in states of West
Bengal, Orissa, Bihar etc.

Capitalizing on Livestock Sector

India has the largest cattle and buffalo population, second largest population of goats and the third
largest of sheep in the world. Total livestock population is around 495 million. We are also the
largest milk producers (91 mt) in the world today. Yet, we have not been able to compete globally
 7

in the export of milk products, meat and even live animals- as being done by Australia, New
Zealand, Holland etc. Today, we also produce 41 billion eggs and have 490 million poultry birds.
We need to link farmers to markets – the way it is done in Gujrat – through cooperative movement.
Such efforts need to be replicated fast in other states as well. Supply of fodder and feed, use of
silvi- pastoral approach in rainfed areas (especially Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Andhra Pradesh etc.), establishment of A.I Centers, Livestock, Clinics, Supply of good quality,
vaccines, insurance of livestock (at least of valuable productive ones), establishment of modern
abattoirs, processing, packaging, storage, and marketing (including export) facilities would all lead
to much faster growth in livestock sector- for which India has great comparative advantage but so
far not fully exploited. For example, we should be major producer of Mozarella Cheese, being the
largest buffalo milk producer, yet our share in global market is almost negligible.

Another important issue is regarding crop-livestock integration, especially in arid regions. In some
areas, such as Rajasthan and Maharashtra, major thrust should be on silvi pastoral practices using
agro-forestry and use of rangeland pastures and legumes, beside drought tolerant shrubs and trees
such as Khejri (Prosopis), babool (Acacia), etc. In Rajasthan Canal area, especially Bikaner and
Jaiselmer Divisions, a re-look is necessary at arable cropping to be replaced by raising pastures and
livestock considering the long-term sustainability and profitability. Appropriate mid course
correction through needed policy reforms would be desirable. Also we need to protect and improve
our local breeds- being most valuable assets.

AGRICULTURAL POLICY: REDESIGNING R & D TO ACHIEVE ITS OBJECTIVES

The National Agricultural Policy visualizes technological upgradation of Indian agriculture as a

core element of the agricultural development strategy. The goals of sustainable agriculture, food
and nutrition security, risk management as well as growth and agricultural trade depended critically
on improved R&D processor in the sector. Specifically, it endorses the concept of regionalization
of agricultural research based on identified agro-eco regions, (location-specifically). Use of frontier
sciences, participatory and proprietary approaches in R&D, strengthening research-extension
linkages, and a “well-organized, efficient and result-oriented agricultural research and education
system to introduce technological change in Indian Agriculture”. It calls for a redefinition of the
partnership between central and state governments, assigning an upstream role for the centre. It also
charts a pathway of incentives, support systems, investment imperatives and policy to “actualize
that vast untapped potential of Indian agriculture”.

Unlike other public support systems, the public R&D sector has had the tradition of being more
open to reform. Several internal and external reviews have been undertaken over the last decade or
two. In fact, for the central system- the ICAR, such scrutiny is mandatory at the level of each
institute / centre at quinquinnial intervals. Yet, in view of the rapid and far-reaching changes in the
agricultural scenario, emerging pressures on public systems across the abroad, and indications of
slackening tempo in research and transfer of technology, it is felt the need for an interactive
dialogue for further reforms in the agricultural R&D system in the country in the changed scenario.
The contours of Indian agriculture are changing and, the national system must also articulate new
paradigms

WTO AND INDIAN AGRICULTURE: IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY AND R&D

Agriculture will continue to remain at the centre stage of socio-economic development in India.
Notwithstanding its outstanding performance in making the country self-sufficient in food grains,
 8
deceleration of its performance beginning with mid nineties is of serious national concern. Two
major developments impacting Indian agriculture during nineties have been: (1) the Agreement on
Agriculture implemented from 1st January, 1995 under WTO, and (2) emergence of highly volatile
price regime thereafter. Several recent studies, on the causes of poor performance of agriculture,
often relate to WTO agreement on agriculture and its likely adverse implications against promise.

ELEMENTS OF CHANGES IN AGRICULTURAL R&D

There is a felt need for insights into the relationship between agricultural science and policy in the
Indian context. While the recent National Agricultural Policy document of the Government of India
provides an immediate focus, there are larger questions concerning the capacity of R&D to identify
and respond to the crucial and durable elements of agricultural policy on the one hand, and to
contribute effectively to policy formulation it self on the other. The nature, extent and direction of
changes in agricultural R&D, education, and extension demand detailed deliberations among the
stakeholders – the community of professionals, farmers, NGOs, policy makers; both from private
and public sectors.

THE CONTEXT FOR CHANGE AND LIVELIHOOD SECURITY- RURAL POOR

• The passed decades has witnessed significant changes in growth rates and trends in
agricultural production/ productivity, resource use in irrigated and rainfed agriculture, and
gives us evidences for natural resource degradation. Agricultural R&D continues to appease
itself with claims of past success, often limited to varietal release, while there is evidence of
stagnation or even declaration in TFP growth, and of declining productivity of disciplinary/
commodity based knowledge in the face of deteriorating R&D environment and mounting
agro-ecological problems. Other changes include increasing private sector presence and
profit motives in agricultural R&D on erosion of public sector commitment to basic and
poverty oriented research, and the potential and uncertainties of emerging biotechnology
and information technology regimes. The demand for sustainable agriculture and poverty
alleviation, the need for introspection and evaluation in R&D, are other challenges
demanding critical changes in R&D paradigms.

• Two other variables need to be factored in as we consider response of public R&D systems.
The first emanates from globalization of the economy – an accepted paradigm change in the
NAP, and the other is growing pressure on public financial resources. The former brings in
issues like global and regional comparative advantage and efficiency of production, while
the latter underscores prioritization and accountability concerns. The crucial importance of
bridging the knowledge divide, which has grown in recent years, was also highlighted in the
workshop. The rhetoric of achieving growth, efficiency, equity and sustainability
enunciated in the NAP will depend critically on adequate response of all public systems,
including R&D, to these changes.

• Analytical the first step is to identify the main issues in the changing landscape of
agricultural innovation and development that we need to tackle. What are the main changes
that affect agricultural R&D, extension, education and agricultural development in general?
Once we have identified these changes, can we ask further questions about how each
component and actor in the system has to change? These questions may have to do with the
nature and extent of change, possible period or sequencing of change, or partners in change,
new norms or rules such as prioritization, accountability, incentive and reward structure,
natural resource accounting or poverty impacts.
 9
• There are important milestones of success in green revolution technology. This success,
however, must not perpetuate a ‘business as usual’ approach to the generation and
utilization of knowledge and technologies in the agriculture sector. The innovation system
must now look for ways forward to the next stages of excellence and success towards agro-
ecological and socio-economic goals, towards an evergreen revolution in agriculture.

Agricultural Export Policy Issues and Emerging Challenges

• Promoting of eco-friendly inputs, precision agriculture practices and participatory

technology development for sustainable increase in productivity and production. In order to
increase the exportable surplus.

• Exploit the agro-ecological diversity of the country, for production/ export of agricultural
produce from different regions during the off-seasons in importing countries. The APEDA
and SAD’s can work on this and the State Departments of Agriculture, Horticulture,
Agricultural Marketing and State Agricultural Marketing Boards can implement this.

• Enhance the competitiveness of the Indian agricultural produces, cost of production must be
brought down by increasing yield per unit of inputs through facilitating adoption of latest
practices and reducing the yield gaps.

• Training must be given to farmers on hi-tech modules, pre-harvest management and post-
harvest handling of produce to match importing country standards.

• Agriculture must be treated as agri-business and all incentives must be extended for its
promotion and value added products from agricultural commodities in general and dry land
crops in particular.

• Credit availability must be enhanced and all procedural bottlenecks must be removed the
institutional lending, besides, creating awareness among farmers to use crop insurance
programmes available.

• Harness benefits of new scientific advances such as bio-technology, cloning, remote

sensing, modeling, information and IT for farmers and rural communities through Internet
aided extension networks have to be materialized that too in local language.

• Farm Science Centres (KVKs) should be strengthened as nerve centre for dissemination of
technical know-how and promoting the market/ export oriented quality produce of the
commodity.

• Formation of commodity specific extension kiosk on indigenous food, horticultural crops,

livestock, poultry, bee keeping, mushroom, medicinal and aromatic plants, sericulture, tea
and other value addition enterprises.

• Distance education for farmers and small agri-entrepreneurs need to be explored and
strengthened through television, interactive audio and video system, besides, print and
learning materials which would be the distinguishing feature of extension teaching and
learning process.
 10
Conclusions

Rural Institutions play critical role in translating agricultural production into profit, which is sin-
qua-non for equitable societal development. These institutions could be a potential agent of change
in the rural areas. India has a rich tradition of peoples’ institutions for managing common natural
resources and stable production practices. The neglect of these institutions resulted into deprivation
of access to information technology, other means of economic gain, and increased the probability
of their exclusion from agriculture. This also increased vulnerability of rural livelihood. Several
models of modern institutions such as Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI), corporate models including
Rural Retail Chains, and the Self-help groups (SHG) are being experimented in various parts of the
country to address the problem of burgeoning income gaps.

Several of the major decisions and initiatives such as Antyodaya, Prime Minister Sadak Yojna,
Kisan Call Center, the National Agriculture Insurance Scheme and the Kisan Credit card Scheme
must be implemented truthfully. The plan of action will constructively identify the limitations of
the present policy and suggest ways to obviate them. Critical aspects such as needs , aspirations and
role of the majority small and marginal farmers, diversification, off-farm employment, sustainable
intensification, competitiveness, the place of multi functionality of agriculture, investment in
agriculture and overall rural livelihood security should be duly highlighted in the national policy.
The Plan of Action will thus provide not only a dynamic look but also the much-needed dynamism
to the National Policy of Agriculture.

Food processing industry has enormous significance towards ushering speedy transformation of the
rural economy, in particular, and the national economy, in general. Food processing helps in
promoting a synergy between the two major components of the economy, namely, the agriculture
and industrial sectors.

Poverty in India is essentially a rural phenomenon particularly among the rural poor. More than 70
percent of the poor live in rural India and bulk of them are farmers, landless laborer and agriculture
dependent. Despite the Green Revolution, Indian agriculture is not as productive, competitive,
remunerative, and sustainable as desired and expected.

Given the soaring current unemployment growth rate of nearly 5 percent per annum and low annum
elasticity, the youth energy is not being only wasted but also mis-channeled leading to social
problems and despair. Agriculture being the largest job provider (nearly 56 percent of India’s
population is directly engaged in agriculture), its growth must be rendered youth-friendly.
Agricultural clinics, rural agricultural information centres, private sector based technology
assessment and transfer in selected areas and rural agro-processing and small and medium size
enterprises (SMEs) are some of the propositions to attract the youth for gainful self-employment.
Necessary skill development, investment through short-term loans and micro financing
mechanisms, coupled with marketing support are a must for this purpose.

As the developmental goals of agriculture comprise complicated and complex issues like
sustainability, food security, livelihood security, environmental safety, balanced eco-system, bio-
diversity conservation, export orientation, value addition, agricultural diversification, gender
balance, empowerment of the powerless, employment security for farm youth and so on without
compromising self-reliance in agriculture, the extension agenda needs radical reforms. The
extension system will have to develop separate modules for farm communities struggling for
existence on the side and those trying to harness maximum advantage on the other. The Niagra
force of wisdom and vigor that emanate from these concerted and united effort can convert our
present dream of sustainable agriculture into an easily attainable reality. This will bring solace and
 11
succor to the farming community which still suffer from poverty and deprivation and who struggle
to derive the benefits of a globalized economy. If our vision is realistic, our commitment is sincere,
our determination is rock like and have a mindset for hard work, these efforts of ours can work as a
spring board to launch India into the global horizon as a shining star of sustainable agricultural
development of world standard.

12
Post Production Management of Tropical And Temperate Fruits

1. Research and Development Programmes should be need based and focused to address the
issues emerging out of domestic and export markets. Development of varieties for specific
purposes shall be continued to meet the demand. Post harvest technology research should
given thrust to develop technologies for export of fresh as well as processed products.

2. Laboratory facilities for quality control in State Agricultural Universities and Development
Departments to support export of fruits and vegetables should be developed.

3. Creation of common infrastructure for the benefit of farmers for grading, packing and
packaging, and for storage is essentially required and it can be achieved by sensitizing the
policy makers.

4. Human Resource Development for research and development and entrepreneurship training
in post-harvest management should be given priority.

5. Encouraging co-operative/ contract farming with buy-back arrangements to initiate market-

led production.

6. Maintaining cool chain for the post-harvest handling of cut flowers around 5˚C with
appropriate packaging to get better prices in the international markets.

Agricultural Export Competitiveness- Policy Issues And Emerging Challenges Rapporteur’s

Report.

1. Promoting of use of eco-friendly inputs, precision agriculture practices and participatory

technology development for sustainable increase in productivity and production. This is
essential to increase the exportable surplus.

2. To exploit the agro-ecological diversity of the country, programmes should be evolved for
production/ export of agricultural produce from different regions during the off-seasons in
importing countries. The APEDA and SAD’s can work on this and the State Departments of
Agriculture, Horticulture, Agricultural Marketing and State Agricultural Marketing Boards
can implement this.

3. To enhance the competitiveness of the Indian agricultural produces, cost of production must
be brought down by increasing yield per unit of inputs through facilitating adoption of
improved practices and reducing the yield gaps.
 4. Training must be given to farmers on GAP, pre-harvest, management and post-harvest
handling of produce to match importing country standards.

5. Programmes should be implemented for promotion of value added products out of dry land
crops.

12
6. Agriculture must be treated as agri-business and all incentives must be extended for its
promotion.

7. Credit availability must be enhanced and all procedural bottlenecks must be removed in
institutional lending besides creating awareness among farmers to use crop insurance
programmes available.

8. Segregation and regimentation of exports crops must be made to facilitate their promotion.

9. Formation of grower’s association must be promoted and made democratic to empower

them to negotiate on price.

10. Promotion of supply chain management to reduce number of intermediaries and facilitate
value addition in the chain must be taken up.

New Technologies of Agro Processing and Post Harvest Engineering

1. Agriculture has to transform into Agri-business towards this end, public private partnership
should emerge and the Agricultural Universities has to play a vital role in this regard along
with financial institutions.

2. There is a greater need for proper design of packaging to reduce post harvest losses in
transport of fruits and vegetables. Research on packaging studies has to be encouraged.
Policies should be framed to encourage transport vehicles with refrigeration facilities. Cold
storage facilities for fruits and vegetables are also being promoted through government
policies and financial institutions.

3. Most of the existing processing industries are to be modernized with new equipments such
as cleaners, graders, colour sorters. This activity needs to be supported by financial
institutions.

4. Food safety and quality should be dealt with properly while considering the use of GM
foods. There should be regulatory system established to oversee the bio-safety of GM foods.

5. New technologies like precooling, MAP, biotechnology, cryogenic grinding, protein

isolation should be taken up under public private partnership.

6. Training of farmers and other functionaries involved in supply chain management is

essentially needed to keep the value addition process moving ahead.
Recommendations Emerged

1. Tailoring the research and development programmes in order to cater to the standards of
domestic and export markets through establishment of laboratory facilities for quality
control in State Agricultural Universities and Development Departments.

2. Sensitizing the policy makers on creation of community level infrastructure for grading,
packing and packaging, storage and promoting grower’s association to empower them to
13
negotiate on price. By undertaking the human resource development activities on latest
technologies of value addition and post harvest processing capable entrepreneurship at
village level may be developed.

3. Efforts to be taken to encourage co-operative/ contract farming with buy- back

arrangements to initiates market-led production.

4. Promoting the use of eco-friendly inputs, practice of precision agriculture and participatory
technology development for sustainable increase in productivity and production of
exportable surplus by brining down the cost of production and improving the
competitiveness of Indian Agriculture.

5. For exploitation of the agro-ecological diversity of the country, programmes should be

evolved fro production/ export of agricultural produce form different regions during the off
seasons in importing countries. The APEDA and SAD’s can work on this and the State
Departments of Agriculture, Horticulture, Agricultural Marketing and State Agricultural
Marketing Boards can implement this.

6. Implementing suitable programmes for promotion of value added products out of arid zone
dry land crops.

7. Credit availability must be enhanced by improving Institutional lending to convert

agriculture in to agri-business besides creating awareness to use crop insurance programmes
and encouraging public private partnership.

8. Adoption of suitable national strategies on augmenting animal productivity, production,

consumption and marketing of animal products.

9. Creation of realistic database on meat, milk and egg production, handling transportation, pre
and post harvest loss, marketing etc.

10. Cutting edge technologies on processing, preservation and value addition on animal
products by integrating newer bio-technological tools with the ITK may be develop.

11. To improve the export oriented meat production, buffalo male calves management with
high input ration be made for increased growth rate for marketing.

12. To improve infrastructure in poultry sector, public private partnership may be encouraged in
areas like cold chain, processing equipments, distribution net works etc. to produce locally
acceptable, cost effective value added poultry products with due consideration of the post
harvest losses and efficient utilization of by products.
NEWLY EMERGING AREAS IN AGRICULTURE FOR EXPORT GAINS

There are several global issues and global dimensions which the Indian agricultural sector
has to confront as a consequence of globalization and liberalized trade regime. It is a reality that
our gains through export of agricultural commodities depend on the promotion of those
commodities for which we have a comparative advantage in terms of cost of production and
quality aspects. Some of the new areas for the extension system to mould itself to perform in an
effective manner are listed below:
(i) Farmer- Agro-Industry-Consumer linkages:
There is a need to have strong linkage between agricultural marketing and
agricultural production system as ‘what to produce’ ‘how much to produce,’ ’
how to produce’ and for ‘ whom to produce’.

(ii) Shift in Physical Output to Value Realization:

Ensuing shift in the approach from increased physical output to increased value
realization by the producers is the need of the time.

(iii) Agro-processing and Value Addition of Agricultural Produce:

India has great potential for expanding its export of processed products in view
of the increasing production of fruits and vegetables, dairy products, meat and
marine products, etc. The practice of contract farming is coming up around such
processing centres. More and more processing facilities for such commodities
need to be augmented.

(iv) Grading and Packaging: In view of tremendous potential for export of fruits
and vegetables, it is necessary to give greater attention to grading and packaging
of these commodities by creating required infrastructural support.

(v) Diversification of Agriculture: India has enormous inherent potentials for

diversification and scope to introduce new areas in agricultural production such
as hi-tech horticulture, precision farming, organic farming, etc.

(vi) Augmented Infrastructural Facilities: A strong infrastructural support has to

be developed in terms of cold storage chains, transport, credit support, market
information and insurance to fully exploit opportunities for export.

(vii) Cost-Effectiveness: The country’s agriculture has to become more cost-effective

to meet the growing challenges and opportunities arising out of WTO
agreements and the consequent globalization impacts. For this, future growth of
agriculture has not only be yield based but should be tilted towards ensured
demand in the national and international market.

(viii) Export promotion: There is a great need to orient our agricultural production
system for enhanced export promotion.

(ix) Global Market Research and Information Centre: An apex centre at the
national level for market research, international price analysis, global demand,
availability and also to pass on this information to the concerning authorities is
very much required.
(x) Upgrading of Hunan Resource through Trainings: There is a need to train the
farmers in the areas like product planning, marketing information, preparation of
produce for marketing, improved marketing practices, rules and regulations,
input- marketing etc.

(xi) Involvement of Private Sector: Efforts should be made to involve private

sector in creating necessary marketing infrastructures.

(xii) Marketing Information Network: Easy access to timely and relevant

information to farmers, traders, policy planners and other marketing agencies so
as to enable them to have proper marketing decisions is very mush needed.
Application of IT in this area is still a mis-link.

(xiii) Marketing of Agro-inputs: For the marketing of agro-inputs like seeds, it is

necessary to streamline and simplify seed certification procedures, modify the
Seed Act and enforce it strictly. Greater participation of private sector,
cooperatives and NGOs in the production and distribution of seeds is required.

(xiv) Declared EXIM policy (2002-07) by Government of India: The knowledge on

freely exportable and importable commodities, restricted as well as non-
exportable/importable commodities must penetrate at various levels as it has
implications on the marketing of agricultural products.