part 2 of INDIAN AGRICULTURE - PART 1
Indian
Agriculture Industry (Part 2)
Congress
Failure of Agriculture Sector;
Inadequate
& Abominable Policies
(1947-2014)
Can you imagine, a vital resource like
Forest or for that matter; Agriculture, being put on fire, say one acre each
year, and at the end of seventy years a mammoth 70 acres of burning Forest and then
expect it to be doused in just three years. Is it not a great Herculean task? Indian
PM Shri Narendra Modi and his team adopted the UPA’s orphaned Agriculture
industry and now are steering back to its desired status, glory and normalcy.
Post WW II, many surviving economies worked
in different directions, setting their own national agenda and related
objectives. Majorly, these economies ventured into industrial development, and
sought initiatives to dispose the overburdening products that remained as
unusable inventory world over. It was a time of Global Transition and
Transformation. All continents, in particular America, Australia, Africa,
Europe and Asia had set in for demographic changes and developments. Few years
later in 1947, India got their independence from the colonial rule of British,
and set its own goals and objectives. J
L Nehru, the then 1st PM of India uttered few words in his first
historic speech: “We end today a period of ill fortunes and India discovers
herself again.” But this seems to be totally of the track, if we analyze last
70 odd years, majorly ruled by Congress and its allies. The ill fortunes ever
remained till 2014 in almost all parts of the country. A country divided by
culture, caste, language, wealth, fortunes, mountains, rivers, resources and
religion. There was growth and development, but all lop-sided. Rich became
richer, poor became poorer, corrupt became more corrupt and political
ideologies marginalized. Social movements were crushed, honest and nationalists
were eradicated, slavery continued in different format and dynasty models
evolved. In a nutshell, India never discovered itself but if at all, only in
the wrong direction.
“The broad announcements
of INC, syncing it with destiny, eluded the citizens of India till 2014.
Neither the poverty was cured nor ignorance, diseases and issues of inequality
were treated. India and Indians were kept on the mercy of destiny.”
I may go to the extent and
retort that tears never stopped, hopes never saw the day, fortunes were
shattered and buried, and India suffered a lot at the hands of Nehru Dynasty,
Indira Gandhi et al, Congress and its allies. And if at all it had to be a real
‘Tryst with Destiny’, it was the emergence of Narendra D Modi, the Prime
Minister of India and the transformed new
face of Bhartiya Janata Party, under its Party President, Shri Amit Shah.
Before I embark on a journey to present the
case of Agriculture Industry’s misfortunes, I would like to share some
historical data of past 65 years that left Indian Agriculture Industry gasping
for breath and the struggle to come out of a state of suffocation and shock.
Most farmers in India used the
bulk of their cultivated land to grow grains and pulses. Rice accounted for 22
percent of the reported area sown (including multiple-cropped land) in 1956-57,
other grains accounted for 37 percent and pulses for 16 percent, making a total
of 75 percent of all reported land sown. Oilseeds occupied another 9 percent
and cotton 5 percent. Sugarcane, jute,
tobacco, tea, coffee, spices, rubber, and all other crops occupied the
remaining 11 percent of the land.
Pity that Farmers have to pray to God expecting
miracles, when Government fails to help.
Except for the Large Sized Farmers, all
categories of Farmers in India have tragically suffered a fortune.
If we compare the Agriculture
Land Use data from 1956 to 2013, there are many issues and inferences, clearly
pointing that the Congress (UPA) did little to consolidate on the policies that
would have seen Agriculture Industry take a lead, keeping in view the
contribution and people of India majorly depending on it. With more than 60% of
population living in rural areas and agriculture their main source of
livelihood, the relief and policies were not justified. Some of the highlights that will explain the
faulty, irrational and untimely planning are as under:
Cumulative Analysis of Various
Data on Agricultural Land Use in India
(All figures in 1000 hectares)
1.
Geographical
Area: 3,28,726
2.
Reported
Area for Land Utilization: 3,05,195
to 3,05,936
3.
Forests: 69,843
to 70,007
4.
Not
Available for Cultivation (Non-Agricultural Uses): 23,752 to 26,454
5.
Not
Available for Cultivation (Barren Land): 17,483
to 17,284
6.
Not
Available for Cultivation (Total): 41,235
to 43,378
7.
Other Uncultivated
land excluding fallow land:
a. Permanent Pastures & Other
Grazing Lands: 10,662 to
10,240
b. Land under Misc. Tree Crops &
Groves: 3445
to 3157
c. Cultivable Waste Land: 13,631
to 12,578
d.
Total Uncultivable Land: 27,737
to 25,976
8. Fallow Lands:
a. Fallow Lands other than Current: 10,267 to
11,001
b. Current Fallow Land: 14,777
to 15,282
c.
Total Fallow Land: 25, 044 to 26,283
9. Net Area Sown: 1,41,336
to 1,39,932
10. Total Cropped Area: 1,85,340
to 1,94,399
11. Area sown more than once: 44,005
to 54,467
12. Total Agriculture/ Cultivable &
Arable Land: 1,83,455
to 1,81,950
13. Cultivated Land: 1,56,113
to 1,55,214
14. Cropping Intensity (% of Pt 10 over Pt 9): 131 to 139
Inference from the above mentioned data:
·
Though the
total geographical area was large, but the reported Land Utilization remained
around 22,000 less at the end of 2013.
Indicating not much was planned to increase the Land Utilization.
·
The interest
swung towards Non-agricultural uses as the land increased by 2500 by the end of
year 2013. Efforts for pure Agricultural use missed the targets.
·
Barren Land
remained almost same in size. No efforts were undertaken to convert Barren
Lands into an usable or viable business preposition. Even Cultivable Waste
Lands showed No Improvement. An enormous size of Cultivable Land remained Waste
Land, a big revenue loss.
·
Net Sown
Area decreased against increased cropped area at the end of year 2013. Though
the Cropping Intensity increased but the Net Profitability decreased. Indicates
manipulation and misuse of Cropped Area. Cultivable and Arable land too
declined along with decreased Cultivated Land in he last thirteen years.
“GDP contribution of 55% in 1950 fell to 13%
in 2013 reflecting the apathy of Congress and its allies towards the
Agricultural Industry.”
Table
3
The faulty
policies of Congress (UPA), led to overall distress in the Indian Agriculture
Industry, having direct impact on the revenue generation, its contribution to
the GDP, and most severely on the health and wealth of Indian Farmers across
the country, resulting in poor farmers suicides, the darkest blot ever on a
Political party, whose leader said, “Everything can wait, but not the
Agriculture”. What a paradox? It was a simple case of cheating the nation. Farmer’s
deaths were nothing else but an abetment to suicide by INC.
From 2011 to 2013 alone, around
40,000 farmers committed suicide majorly due to financial debts and inability
to pay back. Yield & Productivity both were dismal, distribution erroneous
and poor pricing policy
If you see
the above-elaborated chart (Table 3), one would notice that the size of
Agriculture & Allied Industries accounted for very ordinary contribution to
the GDP. There was a continuous decline from year 2008 to 2010, a marginal
increase in 2011, again falling from 157.35 US$ billion to 132.71 US$ billion.
Everything was ignored including the Agriculture Industry, in and out focusing
on 2014 Parliamentary Elections and ‘Worries
of Party Funding’. What’s amazing and interesting was the exponential rise
in GDP contribution by Agriculture Industry, soon after Modi Ji (NDA) took over
as the prime Minister of India. The contribution in 2015 and 2016 was 259.23
US$ billion and 244.74 US$ billion.
“The revolution and resurrection of Indian Agriculture Industry has
begun.”
One finds it
difficult to fathom the deep-rooted malaise intentions of Congress to stay put
the growth and development of Agriculturists & Farmers in India. I
personally believe this too could be a political strategy, not letting the
uneducated farmers to immigrate to other progressive national and regional
political parties of India. The farmers were kept away from developed culture,
eluded from basic & professional education and long-term huge banking and
local Lenders debts on their shoulders, carrying over to generations. Even as
of now the literacy rate is poor in many states dominated by Farmers and
Agriculturists, leaving aside a meager percentage of very rich Farmers.
Agriculture
and Allied Industry, for any country, is a backbone to take the load to
strengthen and contribute to the economy.
Farmers are the soul of a country and vital to the prosperity of the
nation. Imagine how a nation can prosper without proper welfare of the farmers.
The farmers lost all confidence in the central Govt. during the last 6 decades,
lost trust and gave all hopes that what resulted in Farmers suicide, across the
country. India’s agricultural wealth secures the health of the nation, but
Congress was far away in securing the farmers health. The Indian Farmers were
dealt with indifference and hostility till Modi Ji brought revolutionary
changes and reforms to the Agriculture Industry and the Farmers.
The Smiles have returned on the
faces of Farmers, both male and females,
after Modi Ji took over as PM of India
Some facts
that have baffled me about the struggle of the industry and farmers are the
tall percentage of employment (livelihood) provided in rural areas, through
agriculture Industry, as high as almost 60 percent. The latest updates, as per
the Economic Survey, shows that its contribution to GDP has now shown an
incremental trend and hovering around 18 percent currently. Between 2000 and
2103, the UPA rule, it stood around at a dismal 13 percent of GDP. One must not
forget that Agriculture is key in providing basic and critical inputs for
industrialization, fortifying the nation’s economy.
There’s
still a long way and plenty of scope to enhance our agricultural produce
through area expansion, selective and saleable export products, targeted
demography, modern techniques, improving soil fertility, technology use both at
micro and macro levels along with provisions of modern farming equipment.
Increased profit making, sharing financial loan burden, making education reach
to the remotest rural areas, proper training and health care shall win the
trust of agriculturists and farmers. This will also lessen the migration of
people from rural areas to urban areas and make our villages self-sustainable.
Currently, availability of Modern Technology, Training & Farm
Equipment has brighten the future of Farmers
Modern Farm Equipment ploughs the
cultivable land easily, saves time, improving the productivity.
PM Modi’s BJP
Government and the Agricultural Ministry headed by Shri Radha Mohan Singh are
truly committed to the well being & welfare of farmers. Also incorporating budgetary
allocation, providing a holistic package, strategies being devised and timely introduced
by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmer Welfare. At the end what matters is
a good livelihood, social security and family happiness for the farmers. This
was missing for few decades but the trends are very heartening and encouraging.
The Agriculture & Allied Industry is back on track and with a bang. Government
is all out to ensure that the Agricultural Land Use is expanded and Allied Industry products imports are cut down substantially.
(To be
contnd. - Part 3)
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