Government of India has recently published report on ‘Policies and Action Plan for Secure and Sustainable Agriculture’ which highlights how adoption and scaling of new technologies and innovations through an enabling policy environment, with inclusiveness of all stakeholders, can accelerate agricultural growth.
A Report on ‘Policies and Action Plan for Secure and Sustainable Agriculture’ prepared by a Committee constituted under the Chairmanship of Padma Bhushan Dr R.S. Paroda, was presented recently to Prof. K. Vijay Raghavan, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India.
The report explicitly highlights how adoption and scaling of new technologies and innovations through an enabling policy environment, with inclusiveness of all stakeholders, can accelerate agricultural growth.
Transformative suggestions
The report has some transformative suggestions that includes policy, institutions, infrastructure, market, science, technology and innovations, which together contribute directly or indirectly to agricultural output and thereby GDP of the country.
Recommendations by key Institutional reforms
1. Review of existing agricultural policies and forming a new policy on agricultural development and farmers’ welfare to meet emerging challenges
2. Need of reorientation of on-going missions/national programs, including urgency for initiating some new missions; strengthening of ICAR/SAUs/KVKs/PRIs with urgency for doubling current public funding for research
3.Establishment of a new National Agricultural Development and Farmers’ Welfare Council (NAD&FWC) under the chairmanship of Prime Minister to ensure effective coordination
4. Establishing Farmers’ Welfare Commissions both at the Centre and State level: an Independent Strategic Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation Unit: expanding the mandate of KVKs as ‘Knowledge-Skill-Innovation Centres’ and to facilitate the establishment of Agri-Clinics.
5.Need of policy reforms to increase capital investment in agriculture (both public and private); increase in credit access to the farmers and young entrepreneurs at low interest rate (4%) and creation of more financial institutions such as Kisan Banks, provision of pledged warehouses, availability of farm machinery on custom hire basis etc.
Subsidies should be rationalised
The committee has strongly recommended that henceforth the subsidies in agriculture be rationalised as incentives for good agronomic practices through direct benefit transfer (DBT) mechanism. It is recommended to convert existing subsidies as incentives for both farming efficiency and environmental services at Rs 10,000 per acre per annum up to a maximum of 10 acres (4 ha) per farming family.
MSP
It is also recommended that the farmers be henceforth paid minimum support price (MSP) at 1.5 times of cost C2 and the procurement be extended to all important agricultural commodities.
Need of reviewing of ECA and APMC act
The Essential Commodities Act (ECA) and Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Act also need to be reviewed for their relevance in the present context when we want one national market for e-NAM and for global exports. Further, the Mandi tax has also to be rationalized around 5-7 per cent only.
Linkage of CSR
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) be now linked to efficient technology dissemination through active involvement of youth (including women) as technology/extension agents, input and/or service providers and for the establishment of Agri-Clinics involving young entrepreneurs. Export-import (EXIM) policy needs to be made long-term and foresight oriented for which APEDA needs to be strengthened.
Need of updating various bills and policies related to agriculture
The Seed Bill, Pesticide Management Bill, Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) Bill, and other important Bills/Acts relating to agriculture and rural development need to be cleared by the Parliament on priority. National Policies on Biotechnology, Livestock Breeding, and Land Utilization should be considered for quick decision and implementation by all the States concerned.
