The Hindu Business Line : ‘Tailor schemes to benefit small farmers’

Coimbatore, Jan. 14 While stressing the need for achieving convergence and synergy among the various agriculture-related programmes, Dr M.S. Swaminathan, Chairman of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, said “this should be in relation to the delivery so the small and marginal farmers benefit from it.”

Dr Swaminathan was here to deliver the Shri G.K. Sundaram Endowment Lecture organised by the South India Cotton Association.

He said the growth rate of the Indian agriculture sector declined from 3.69 per cent during the mid-90s to 1.65 per cent per annum in the last decade.

“The net sown area, gross cropped area, irrigated area, fertiliser usage, electricity consumption — all declined, including the growth rate in terms of trade for agriculture. Small and marginal farmer households accounting for 84 per cent of all farmer households are mostly under debt,” he said, recapping the agriculture scenario.

According to him, the economic viability of farming could be improved by substantially increasing the net income of farmers, ensuring agricultural progress, providing opportunities (in adequate measure) for non-farm employment and initiating measures to attract and retain youth in farming.

Agri zones

Highlighting the need for converting calamities into opportunities, he said the Special Agricultural Zones should aim to bring about a small farm management revolution.

“Introduction of an integrated package of technology, services, techno-infrastructure and producer-oriented trade with the help of farmers’ organisations and gram sabhas, and introduction of common service centres to support decentralised production would go a long way in increasing farmers’ income,” he said.