Intro:Body:
Budget 2020: Agriculture seeks more investments
VO 1: Agriculture is the backbone of Indian Economy.
From the food we eat to the clothes we wear, farmer gives us all we need to live.
But the share of Agriculture, (on which 50% of the population is dependent), to the overall economy is on a declining path.
From over 18% in 2014-15, farmers contribution to GDP has declined to around 14% in 2018-19.
To arrest this trend, experts suggesting that it is high time we should move beyond mere announcements and focus on delivering.
Swaminathan Byte - I would say the time has come for us now for moving away from income orientation being a jargon but a reality. And, I have myself shown many methods of improving the income including farm productivity. For example, in rice, if you grow hybrid rice you get 5-7 ton per hectare, ordinary rice cultivation 1-2 ton. So you have the income from another 4 to 5 ton.
VO 2 - We are in the midst of an economic slowdown. Revival of the overall economy is difficult without the revival of the rural economy.
Like the corporate tax rate cut announced to the industry, there is a demand for putting in more money for the development of agriculture.
Yogendra Yadav - “Economists of all the backgrounds suggesting to take steps to boost demand. To boost demand, money should be infused in rural sector. In the last one year, the government has given concessions to the corporate, middle class, some sectors of the economy; but, unfortunately, nothing has been done to the farming sector. I hope major steps would be announced (in the coming Budget) for agriculture, rural sector and employment creation.”
VO 3 - High food prices was a major issue in 2019.
Due to flash floods in major growing States like Karnataka and Maharashtra, Onion prices touched Rs 200/kg.
As per the official estimates, overall food prices have gone up by 60% in last December.
To avoid these situations in the future, there is a need for more investments in agri infrastructure.
Swaminathan Byte - Government obviously has supported more money in infrastructure, in marketing infrastructure. we say the monsoon the market had managed but are the three important pillars of a Indian economy. the monsoon behaviour, more rain, less rain, if you have drought what do you do, if you got floods. How do you promote the farmer oriented market and management of the small farm coming together the power of scale. For example in the case of dairy industry it is very clear. There are millions of women farmers who form dairy cooperatives as a result today India is the largest milk producer in the world. We were very low at bottom but we come to the top. So if you look at the market, the monsoon, the management properly and develop a policy. Policies have to be location specific. Agriculture is highly location specific enterprise. Therefore there is no use to say national policy but national policy has to become state policy, state policy has to become panchayat policy.
VO 4 – Is the government listening to these voices?
Will the government deliver on its promises to the agriculture sector?
For answers for these questions we have to wait for the Finance Minister’s Budget Speech.
Conclusion:
