Hyderabad: The weather forecasting and agriculture risk solutions company ‘Skymet’ has come out with their preliminary weather forecast for the upcoming Kharif harvests, which is all the more stressing out the Onion Consumer market. A detailed analysis has revealed that many crops have been severely hit by heavy floods and torrential rains during the southwest monsoon. Skymet estimates that more than 32 million hectares of farmland in 137 affected districts in 12 states have recently been affected by such natural disasters. It further estimates that the sales of rice, oilseeds and pulses are likely to shrink by 12% due to floods and heavy rains.
In fact, two weeks ago, the Union Agriculture Ministry has expressed an even more alarming scenario, stating that about 64 lakh hectares in around 15 states have been marooned in the recent floods and torrential rains. However, the government is still dilly-dallying on taking preventive measures. In February, the end of the season, starting October, the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASA) was supposed to procure around 37.59 lakh metric tonnes of pulses and oilseeds. However, after the passing of two months over the prescribed period, and so far only about one million tonnes (which is less than 3% of the promised lot) has been procured. In states like UP, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha, the procurement process has not even started yet.
When the yields of any agro-product fall - the gap between supply and demand keeps widening, which results in market forces playing an important role in increasing the product prices. The government must have enough reserves to keep the demand and supply at equal levels, without causing such a situation.
Even though India accounts for 25 per cent of the global pulses production, the crop is more often not enough for domestic consumption itself, which is resulting in India seeking to import from other countries. Although oilseed cultivation accounts for about 12-15% of inland farmlands, every now and then, it is becoming inevitable to import cooking oils from external sources. To disperse this dependency, the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) proposed a long-term strategy seven years ago. The UPA government called the recommendations for self-reliance in terms of cooking oils. A special committee has been formed to look into the incentives and support price for the cultivation of pulses.
In September, the PM-AASA climbed the top of the list for farmers. Four months before the scheme’s introduction, the government was able to procure more than 25 million tonnes of pulses and oilseeds, which was almost 75% of the procurement target of 33.6 lakh tonnes, as proposed by the government. NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation), which has been heavily criticized for being sluggish at that time, is completely surprising the nation today, with its insensibility to the events. PM-AASA implementation costs were budgeted at Rs 15,053 crore for two years and the procurement agencies under this scheme were granted an additional loan-guarantee of Rs 16,550 crore, despite which there seems to be no development at field level. The government needs to take quick corrective measures to prevent the problem of purchasing oils and lentils by the common man.
The country cannot be self-sufficient in pulses and cooking oils, without sufficient reserve mobilization efforts in the near future. It is now necessary for India to learn better agricultural skills and effectively implement the green revolutionary strategies, to improve the overall yield of the cultivated crops.
China is cultivating double the cotton and the US nine times the cornflour. India is nowhere nearer in comparison to the countries like the US, China, Britain and Australia in the production of peanuts, sunflowers, sesame seeds, mustard. While other countries are looking to improving the yields of various inland crops, the astonishing low figures of yield in an agricultural land like India is saddening.
Even if there is an increase in the yield of a crop, the Indian farmer cannot celebrate or enjoy his profit since it is the middlemen and the market stakeholders who shall be profiting from the selling price. The farmer will be selling his produce at a regular price since he will not be in a position to store his supplies waiting to distribute it as per the demand.
We are a country that plunges the farmers into a state of vicious distress cycle that can never be broken. The government should provide opportunities for farmers to the extent that it can export the surplus yield to foreign lands, thereby benefiting the farmer community at large. Likewise, when the signs of certain crop failure are felt, the systemic arrangements and ex-agreements that bring in imports from the outside will break the pressure of higher prices on the consumers.
Only when the central and state governments are ready to initiate and partake in all-out corrective action with all-encompassing plans on the crops, can it be said that the country’s economy and the agricultural community are harvesting green.
Security will be provided for the nation’s food and the farmer who is said to be the backbone of a nation’s economy shall thrive in abundance, only with the introduction and implementation of revolutionary reforms that will value the peasant's labour.
Also read: Stop Monopolizing the Seed
