By Colonel DP Dimri PhD (Retd)
There is the old proverb: उत्तम खेती , मध्यम बान, निकृष्ट चाकरी, भीख निदानI It means agriculture is the topmost profession followed by one’s own business (व्यापार). Agriculture and allied activities have surged as ultimate means of human survival till the present and more for times to follow. And, in this context even the world’s richest entrepreneur, Bill Gate has opined, ‘Ultimately humans have to consume grains not dollars.’
With exponential increase in urbanisation on most lands, there is an alarming need to utilise each bit of it available for integrated and upgraded farming to include high yield crops, fruits, vegetables, herbs, animal husbandry, fish-farming and poultry. Such a move will be imperative to meet the essential requirement of food for humans or face the consequences of severe deprivation and starvation resulting in widespread unrest in the near future.
Immediate remedial actions gripping common minds are:
Ensuring utilisation of each piece of land for farming, encompassing even spaces on our lawns, rooftops and terraces, etc.
Stoppage of unmindful cutting of trees – vegetation and grabbing forest – agricultural lands in garb of avoidable non-essential development.
Adopting innovative high produce multiple crop seeds and fertilisers.
Maximising irrigation including drip and drone techniques.
Resorting to soil health tests to find suitability for various crops.
Reducing, preferably eliminating wild animal menace, a huge concern.
Storage, including cold, and timely marketing & sales of agro -products.
Provisions for prompt payments for losses due to natural calamities.
All these will need concrete actions on the ground by stakeholders: farmers, government agencies including Gram Panchayats & Self Help groups, mandis and marketers, etc. This will also need support of various experts/specialists, timely facilitation and incentivisation for skill development to learn latest techniques/methodologies in agro-farming, and motivation of all concerned, youth in particular, to take up agriculture & allied activities.
Farming needs to be devised as a profitable activity and profession. We all will have to work in the highest professional cum service mode for growth of the state, nation and survival of human-beings, squashing all pretentions and smashing obstacles in ‘Do or Die ‘ mode. Major challenges are posed by non-responsive attitudes of persons who remain in most ghost villages towards farming and allied activities. Free rations at the door steps and intense labour-work coupled with low or non-profitable results have led to villagers’ moving away from farming. All concerned, primarily government, have to trail blaze solutions and opportunities at crushing speed.
However, of late, a few positive indicators and encouraging trends are surfacing on the ground; like governments getting genuinely serious on agro-business, more youth opting for higher education in agriculture, growing research orientation of our institutions / universities and even increasing involvement of many corporates to promote agro based activities. Let’s catch on to such trends and promote the same with all seriousness.
Attempts in the past to tide over typical problems posed in hill terrain like distantly located fragmented fields with little irrigation facilities, increasing wild animal menace and through ‘land consolidation’ or ‘cooperative farming ‘ have not found favour with farmers. However, keeping in mind importance of the subject, we all are duty bound to devise some workable solutions instead of shying away difficulties encountered. Implementation of “Partial Land Consolidation: PLC – आंशिक चकबंदी” is one such alternative workable solution to use of all available agricultural lands.
Ground Implementation: Based on direct interactions with farmers, of the hills in particular, to learn the difficulties & problems faced, and their suggestions to overcome the same; actionable solutions are enumerated as under towards ground implementation of the proposed PLC.
Step I: The entire agricultural land under cultivation or abandoned/barren of a particular village or group of villages should be placed under one umbrella/ banner organisation, “The Federation of Farmers” comprising working /coordinating / guiding members from among farmers, experts and governmental staff. While the entire land will be under control of the ‘Federation’ for all agro-farming and allied activities, i.e. Farm to Fork, the individual farmer will hold ownership of his/her land. Landowners, representatives of the state and district administration, Blocks, Panchayats, SHGs and experts / specialists will form part of the Federation for ground activities, guidance and facilitation through active participation and monitoring. The federation with governmental support will arrange for essential implements, seeds and manpower for cultivation and harvesting purposes from among volunteer farmers and hired labourers. This is being practiced in a few villages by farmers as individuals or groups.
To start with, the scheme may be implemented in one Village or Block as a pilot project with full dedication and commitment in ‘Mission-mode’.
Step II: Suitable seasonal crops like millets, cereals, pulses, fruits, vegetables, aromatic plants, etc., will be selected based on suitability of soil and market demands. Storage/processing, marketing and sales based on suitable prior tie-ups with potential buyers/mandis will also be managed by the ‘Federation’. Pure organic products are in high demand within the country and overseas.
This is a tough call but very much doable with the full commitment, support and experienced motivational skills of governmental agencies and others. Many others all over the State and nationwide will follow the model. Government, farmers and all others concerned have to provide this revolutionary concept a fair chance as a new ray of hope for growth of the state and overdue prosperity of our farmers.
Step III: Success of the proposed futuristic exercise lies in motivating available farmers, youth and women, in particular, who must start thinking beyond ‘Free Rations and Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajevika Mission (VB-G RAM G – erstwhile MGNREGA) and meagre pensions. They will believe only after promised ‘Profits & Prosperity’ come their way through PLC. As an advisor to GoI, I have hands-on experience of successfully motivating masses in Odisha villages to adopting “Skill Development – Haath mein Hunar” mission by providing befitting employment after learning / acquiring ‘ Skills in demand’.
Step IV: The farmers will get shares of profits in cash, kind or mixed in proportion to their landholdings and participation in the federation activities as cultivators and/or workers. All such activities and decisions will be taken by the ‘Federation’, embracing ground conditions in consultation with experts and other stake-holder. No farmer will be deprived of his or her legitimate share plus bonuses. Suitable percent of net profit would be deposited in ‘Federation Funds account’ to meet various administrative and developmental expenses and contingencies.
All other relevant untouched parameters, if any, and nitty-gritty may be deliberated upon at appropriate stages by the ‘Federation ‘ as the proposal sails through on ground and is suitably incorporated with no stoppage on any account or pretentions. We have to make determined efforts to ‘ Succeed for Growth and Prosperity ‘.
Finally, the proposed scheme is directly targeted at improving the financial health of our farmers through gainfully utilising entire land available and incentivising & facilitating them to undertake agro-farming in a big way. In the futuristic context of likely global grain-drain, Partial Land Consolidation has become more a compulsion than choice. All concerned have to accept and provide fair chance to its successful implementation to ensure optimum utilisation of vast agricultural land available, unutilised or lying barren at present. We must contribute and support our farmers in all possible ways.
Our visionary PM and CMs have vehemently been advocating and supporting ‘Farming activities’. And, so have others in leadership or administration. This is the time for “Concerted Actions, not Pretentions”. Korea, Japan and neighbouring Himachal have made trailblazing achievements through innovative planning and implementation on the ground. It is possible only with a strong urge and resolve to ‘Achieve’.
This will also result into much needed ‘Reverse migration and motivate natives, youth & women, in particular, to take – on ‘ Agro-farming’. In fact, the process has already commenced on the ground in Uttarakhand , wherein many youths are creating history through profitable ‘Farming and Allied activities’.
Fortunately, Union and State governments are in tandem to have ‘Agriculture , Farming and Manufacturing’ on their top agenda for the ‘Viksit Bharat’ and the State government(s) must encash unique opportunities offered.
In addition, government policies and firm action should attract young students for ‘Agro-based Skill-studies and research’ in existing institutions and proposed “Uttarakhand Skills University” with ‘Krishi and Kaushal’ as primary focus areas. Government and social workers along with experts will have to organise meetings to counsel farmers in villages, youth and women in particular, all over the state on the merits of ‘Partial-Land Consolidation’. In finality, key to growth of the hill State and prosperity of farmers rests in PLC resulting in reverse migration and employment.
This is truly the time to Plan and Act decisively on ‘PLC’ for optimum utilisation of every piece of agricultural land leading to end of long time stalemate on ‘Land consolidation’ and also adopt advanced “Agro & Allied’ activities turning the same into profitable businesses. Otherwise, keep facing usual deprivation and starvation in times to follow — a curse for future generations.
(The author is Social Entrepreneur and been Advisor, GoI, on Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.)
