The Hindu Business Line : Shift to resource-based farm policies: Expert

`The key is to understand that agricultural policies must be created based on the heterogeneous resource base of the country and not based on a specific crop alone.'

Thiruvananthapuram , Jan. 24

INDIA must look at moving from a commodity-oriented agricultural planning strategy to resource-based agricultural planning, said Dr K.N. Shyamasundaran Nair, former Vice-Chancellor, Kerala Agricultural University.

He made this observation while delivering the presidential address at the inaugural session of a two-day workshop on `Managing land quality for sustainable agriculture' organised by the Soil Survey Organisation of the Department of Agriculture.

Commodity-specific development and investment plans do not benefit the overall agricultural sector, Dr Nair said. For instance, an agricultural policy that focuses solely on improving rubber cultivation is suitable for only a few districts in Kerala and does not benefit the agricultural sector in other parts of the State where rubber is not grown.

The key, therefore, is to understand that agricultural policies must be created based on the heterogeneous resource base of the country and not based on a specific crop alone, he emphasised.

Earlier in his keynote address, Dr Hari Eswaran, Director-World Soil Resources, US Department of Agriculture, said that India must exploit advancements in information technology if the country wants to ensure sustainable agriculture. Similarly, it must recognise that soil science as a discipline needs to go beyond soil survey maps and play a more important role in agriculture, he added.

The Government must also start preparing regular updates on the state of the country's natural resources including land resources. This document must be available to the public, and will help ensure better policies and planning, Dr Eswaran said.

Kerala should also consider setting up a geo-spatial centre for agricultural planning. A facility of this sort, provided it is staffed by people with the right technical skills, will help the State leverage the power of Geographical Information Systems for agriculture.

India's agricultural scientists and planners need to find answers to questions on the amount of land being lost, the nature of this land, the degree of productivity of the land being put to non-agricultural use and so on. Obtaining answers to such questions is essential if the country is serious about sustainable agriculture, he said.

Inaugurating the workshop, Mr C. Ramachandran, Additional Chief Secretary and Agricultural Production Commissioner, Government of Kerala, read out a message from the Kerala Agriculture Minister, Ms K.R. Gowri Amma.

In her message, the Minister pointed out that use of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes is a growing problem in the State. There is an urgent need to arrest this process and the consequent degradation of land quality. Management of land resources in a rational manner is the only way to stop the decline in land quality and its impact on agriculture, she added.

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