New policy should focus on systemic revamp

MS Bajwa

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AGRICULTURE in Punjab is experiencing dramatic changes due to technological, economic and ecological challenges in achieving agricultural sustainability. It is imperative to formulate a comprehensive, futuristic agricultural policy aimed at ensuring high productivity and net-income sustainability for the farmers and helping them (particularly small farmers and farm workers) overcome income deficit-related stress. The policy drafts proposed in 2013 and 2018 by the Punjab State Farmers’ Commission don’t seem to have seen any follow-up.

The agriculture policy for Punjab should incorporate measures to build the capacity of the farming community (particularly small farmers) to access and utilise appropriate technologies, credit, seeds and other inputs, remunerative domestic and global markets, etc. for achieving assured ago-economic sustainability.

The state’s new policy should focus on transforming the entire gamut of Punjab’s agricultural system, including production, post-harvest management, processing and marketing. The need of the hour is a policy that promotes agriculture as technology-driven, economically remunerative, globally competitive, ecologically sustainable, employment-generating and socially responsive sustainable enterprise/occupation, without posing any threat to soil, water and environment. For achieving all this, the government and policy-makers must formulate a technology-based policy and ensure adequate financial, institutional, administrative and political support. A quick-fix approach cannot be expected to make a difference on the ground.

The policy should incorporate the following measures:

n Build capacity (technical, financial, specialised training, etc.) of Punjab’s farming community (particularly small farmers) for secured access and utilisation of appropriate technologies, credit, seeds and other inputs, remunerative domestic and global markets, etc. for achieving assured agro-economic sustainability.

n Punjab’s produce must be able to pass stringent global tests so that the state gains credibility as a hub of quality products.

n Horticultural production in Punjab should be increased 2-3 times in a decade. Efforts must be made to provide financial, technical and marketing support and incentives, quality seed/planting material and specialised training to the farmers. We must link horticultural production with the processing industry, integrated cold-chain system and markets.

n Ensure right crop diversification policy, adequate investments and incentives for adopting precision diversification of crops/cropping systems. Diversification plans have to be linked to: (i) market demand-driven selection of (income-competitive) crops/cropping systems; (ii) realistic price-fixation mechanism; (iii) efficient storage systems; (iv) agro-processing industry.

n Expand agro-processing-driven rural-economy for value addition, minimisation of losses of perishable and non-perishable products and generation of employment opportunities. Provide incentives such as low tax rates on processed food products, machinery, packaging, etc. and exemption from excise duty on raw material.

n Develop a regulated system for curbing inefficient use of inputs such as seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, water and energy. This will reduce the cost of production and also control pollution.

n Bring structural reforms in the systems of agricultural marketing and price mechanism, along with assured procurement at not less than the MSP fixed by the government, to meet economic needs of farmers, entrepreneurs and exporters.

n Establish a market-promotion cell, market price stabilisation fund, e-market system and agriculture risk fund.

n Minimise losses of perishable and non-perishable products along the supply chain (production to consumption). Develop integrated cold chain, scientific storage and agro-processing industries.

n Use technology to access distant markets, conserve natural resources, digitisation of pre- and post-harvest mechanisation and save labour, adoption of next-generation extension methods, quick detection and control of pest attacks, etc.

n Formulate a separate policy for seed and planting material for authentication of genetic purity, seed certification, ensuring a transparent pricing mechanism and making availability of genuine healthy seeds/planting material to the farmers.

n Adopt conservation agriculture to build potential of soil and water resources. Greater stress is needed on integrated use of organic (green manure) and chemical inputs (fertilisers, pesticides), integrated management of soil health, nutrients and pests.

n Provide adequate financial support and incentives for adopting water-efficient agro-production technologies and in-situ water conservation. Phase out flood irrigation system (efficiency <40%) as far as possible and promote furrow, sprinkler, and drip irrigation (efficiency about 60, 75 and 90%, respectively).

n Generate region-specific climate-smart mitigation/adaptation technologies to ensure that adaptation to climate change and sustainability in agricultural production can be achieved simultaneously. Involve village panchayats, social organisations, farmers and the rural youth so that they become climate-change managers.

n Give a big push to the cooperative system, particularly for small farmers. Expand clusters of custom-hiring services, farmer service centres, farmer producer organisations, and village producer organisations in rural areas.

A practical policy for agriculture needs to be driven by a proactive government. Collective efforts are required on multiple fronts to bridge the gap between policy, farming community and technology so that we can lead Punjab’s kisan and kisani towards prosperous agro-economic sustainability.

The author is a former Director of Research, PAU, Ludhiana