New Delhi: Several agriculture experts on Friday emphasized work on ground level to increase farmers' income and improve their lives and livelihoods in the country.
The suggestion of the agriculture experts comes after the Union Cabinet recently approved seven schemes at a total outlay of Rs 14,235.30 crore.
Sharing his view with ETV Bharat in the backdrop of Cabinet approval of seven schemes, Vijay Sardana, an agriculture expert, said, “Digital agriculture work is not new, the data is already available with the administration only it is being digitalized. The production estimates were calculated and subsidy was given as per available data. How will the digitalization of data increase the farmers’ income?”
“The important work is to provide technology and irrigation facilities on the field. These will help farmers to increase income but only digitalization of data would not help farmers,” Sardana said.
Echoing similar sentiments, another agriculture expert, Dharmendra Malik told ETV Bharat, “Data digitization and crop science will benefit a few percent of farmers. The farmers can get increased income by two options: enhance production at the same cost and hike the price of produce.”
Another agriculture expert, Harvir Singh told ETV Bharat, “It is a fact that through data digitization the data will be streamlined which will provide a limited benefit but it will not help to double the farmers’ income. Enhanced production and hike the price of agricultural produce can help to increase farmers’ income.”
“Agriculture sector will not fully grow only by using Information Technology; farmers need more and more scientific things in the field for development,” Singh said.
On Monday, the Cabinet approved the following seven major schemes for improving farmers’ lives and livelihoods with a total outlay of Rs 14,235.30 crore.
Digital Agriculture Mission: based on the structure of Digital Public Infrastructure, Digital Agriculture Mission will use technology for improving farmers’ lives. The Mission has a total outlay of Rs 2,817 crores.
Crop science for food and nutritional security: with a total outlay of Rs 3,979 crore. The initiative will prepare farmers for climate resilience and provide for food security by 2047.
Strengthening Agricultural Education, Management and Social Sciences: with a total outlay of Rs 2,291 crore the measure will prepare agriculture students and researchers for current challenges and comprises.
Sustainable livestock health and production: with a total outlay of Rs 1,702 crore, the decision aims to Increase farmers income from livestock and dairy.
Sustainable development of Horticulture: with a total outlay of Rs 1129.30 crore the measure is aimed at increasing farmers’ income from horticulture plants.
Strengthening of Krishi Vigyan Kendra: with an outlay of Rs 1,202 crore.
Natural Resource Management: with an outlay of Rs 1,115 crore.
On enhancing farmers’ incomes and other development work issues, farmer Guramneet Mangat told ETV Bharat, “Last ten years, there is talk about doubling the income of farmers but nothing has yet been done. They are talking about drone technology used in field for spray but it will affect those who are already engaged in farm field work. And second thing, small land holders will not be able to buy drones because of its cost. These unemployed farmers will be forced to move to urban areas as unskilled labourers.”
