The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : “Farm policy, practices need re-look”

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Thursday, Feb 21, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

“Farm policy, practices need re-look”

Special Correspondent

Looking back across 50 years of agriculture, prospects and problems

Photo: C. Venkatachalapathy

On farm practices: S. Kannaiyan, Chairman of National Biodiversity Authority, Chennai, (second from left) releasing a souvenir at a seminar in Annamalai University, Chidambaram, on Wednesday. Registrar M. Rathinasabapathy receives it. —

CUDDALORE: S. Kannaiyan, Chairman of National Biodiversity Authority (Chennai), has cautioned that if the agricultural production rate does not stay above the population growth rate, and, if the public distribution system is starved of grain, the country might revert to the pre-Independence era of recurring famine.

The foodgrain production more than quadrupled since the early 1950s from 51 million tonnes to over 209 million tonnes in 2000, while the population went from 350 million to one billion during the same period, he said.

Mr. Kannaiyan was delivering the inaugural address at the national seminar on “Fifty years of Indian agriculture: problems, prospects and future thrusts,” organised to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Faculty of Agriculture of Annamalai University at Chidambaram on Wednesday.

The buffer stock had dwindled from 60 million tonnes to 25 million tonnes and it was being buffeted through imports. Besides this, the farm sector was facing a host of problems such as erratic weather, migration of labour, depleting water sources, fragmented land-holdings, un-remunerative prices and so on.

Mr. Kannaiyan called for a re-look at the farm policy and practices. Strategic planning was needed to achieve the targeted production of 240 million tonnes of foodgrains, for which the farm sector should be accorded top priority by both the Centre and the State governments.

Despite the best of efforts, pulse production had not exceeded 15 million tonnes though there was a potential to attain 25 million tonnes. Regardless of the oilseed mission, the production remained at 23 million tonnes, far below the potential of 35 million tonnes.

The country’s average rice production was 2.5 tonnes a hectare as against China’s 6.5 tonne a ha. India could produce only about 85 million tonnes of rice from 43 million ha, whereas China could raise 180 million tonnes of rice from 30 million ha.

Though Green Revolution transformed the country from one of food deficiency to self-sufficiency, it also taught valuable lessons — excessive application of fertilizers and pesticides would affect the soil health, eco-system, and environment.

There had also been considerable erosion of agro-biodiversity, including that of genetic resources of plants, animals, fish, insects and soil micro-organisms.

However, Mr. Kannaiyan would not denounce Green Revolution as irrelevant but would suggest need-based and area-specific approach. He said the growth in horticulture was quite encouraging.

M. Rathinasabapathi, Registrar, Annamalai University, G. Kuppuswamy, Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, and K. Harikrishnan Nair, Dean, College of Agriculture, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellayani, spoke.

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