Additional Secretary V Venkatachalam has also toured very extensively, often covering two to three states in each visit. His first report covers his visits to West Bengal, Jharkhand and Orissa to oversee the preparations for Kharif 2010 in the Eastern region, availability of seeds and fertilizer and also the status of proposals under the revised ATMA (Agriculture Technology Management Agency) scheme. In all the three states, the problem was not in macro level preparations – but in field level implementation. While Jharkhand had a problem of SSP, this could be resolved by better co-ordination with West Bengal. The real challenge for the state was to reduce the yield gap in paddy and maize, as also to bring more area under assured irrigation, which was currently at 12% of the cultivable area. Thus the top priority under MNREGA, RKVY, and NHM had to be on the creation of water harvesting structures, check dams and field ponds. The states focus on SRI and reclamation of waste lands were acknowledged as positive steps.
Both West Bengal and Orissa had taken necessary steps for Kharif sowing: in fact West Bengal had more paddy seeds than required, and the requisite of fertilizer had also been done as per requirement. Orissa did face a shortage of pulses seeds, which could be requisitioned from the National Seeds Corporation.
He has also recorded his visit to HP, where after attending the SLSC meeting, he visited SHGs and farmers co-operatives at Mashobra, water harvesting structures at Mantar and polyhouses at Falak (Solan). Himachal has done well in ensuring convergence among Central and state programmes , especially in horticulture and micro irrigation, which has led to greater prosperity and market access for farmers. The highlight of his visit to Rajasthan was the review of the Golden Rays project – a PPP between Rajasthan government and Monsanto –in which maize hybrids were given to over seven lakh tribal farmers in five districts , and the results were indeed spectacular, at least in terms of crop yield and profitability.
Additional Secretary Anoop Thakur visits the National Resource Centre for Grapes in Pune which provides services to grape grower and wine industry, besides being the national repository for germplasm, R&D Centre , Test Labs and the APEDA funded Pesticide Residue Monitoring Facility. The Grape Growers Association is also housed in the NRC premises, which allows for meaningful interaction. The NRC wants to issue timely advisories to grape growers based on parameters ice temperature and humidity, and Mr Thakur advises them to propose a comprehensive project for the same under the RKVY. He also visited the Regional Plant Quarantine station at Mumbai to get an assessment of their functioning and present status, including the facility at the International Airport.
Pankaj Kumar acknowledges the good work done by Bihar to address the manpower requirements in the agricultural sector. Bihar has recruited an ‘army of nearly ten thousand extension workers’ to ensure field demonstrations ,input distribution and Kisan Melas(Farmers Fairs). Initiatives like green manuring, pest surveillance had shown results. The state was aware that critical gaps still existed , especially in agricultural credit, warehousing and storage and even basic infrastructure like threshing floors. However the issues were being addressed.
Sanjeev Chopra toured Punjab and West Bengal , and draws interesting inferences based on discussions with farmers and agriculture department officials. He is convinced that transformation of Indian agrarian economy can be galvanized by supporting institutions like co-operatives, SHGs, farmers clubs and Commodity organizations. Given the fragmented size of our land holdings, the only way to achieve economies of scale and scope, and to introduce new technologies was to accept the fact that interventions will have to be group based. He hopes that more time, resources and attention would be given to support farmer’s organizations, especially those which can have a direct impact on farmers’ incomes.
RK Tiwari reviewed BGREI and NFSM across five districts in eastern UP . He draws a comparative chart to show the rainfall and sowing status and gives bullet points on the important interventions that need to be followed up by the state government, these include soil testing, seed distribution, fertilizer availability credit and the Cluster approach to BGREI. He also points out the serious menace of Blue Bulls in UP, and the need for co-ordinated action on this front in conjunction with the MoEF.
Rahate’s visit to Maharashtra took him to CIRCOT(Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology) in Mumbai and the vegetable growing belt of Thane. As he describes it : it is nestled within its own sprawling campus that is quiet, serene and totally insulated from the hustle and bustle of the nearby Dadar area…its main building is a heritage structure still intact with all its architectural beauty…
However CIRCOT is much more than a heritage building. Today , it is ICAR’s lead institution all aspects of post harvest technology of cotton and its value addition through products and through processing of wastes. It also has a test facility for quality testing –right from cotton to fibre to yarn, and ultimately to fabric. Under the National Agricultural Innovation project (NAIP) it has developed an indigenous rubber dam technology to increase the irrigation efficiency of small watersheds.
Thane’s proximity to urban centres has made vegetable production extremely profitable, as marketing is not a problem. Farmers are keen adopters of new technologies and farm equipments, especially as labour costs have touched the roof.
Rahate then moves to Jharkhand, where he notes that compared to last year, the state government was ready for its interventions in both NFSM and BGREI. The one thousand hectare demonstration plots had been identified, and preparatory work had started on time. He recommends regular review and monitoring to ensure that the momentum is not lost.
Mukesh Khullar, who heads the NFSM undertook a visit to UP, Maharashtra and Haryana. In UP, seeds and fertilizer were available as per requirement at the district level, but further movement to the farmer’s field was at a slower pace. The refrain of overcharging by fertilizer retailers was noted by him as well. Likewise issues of credit, power and water came up time and again. The Maharashtra tour was more a review by the DAC, as the Secretary PK Basu headed the team which assessed the crop situation, particularly with regard to cotton, soybean and Toor besides understanding the ground level impact of NFSM, NHM,A3P,MMA and RKVY . The team also interacted with ICAR institutes and SAUs on cotton and citrus , besides discussions with farmers on agrarian stress and their perception of development interventions by government. Mukesh then list twenty five key ‘findings’ and identifies the specific action that has to be taken to address these. He follows the same pattern in his inspection notes after visiting Rohtak, Jhajjar and Hissar in Haryana.
‘Glimpses’ began with the travels of Horticulture Commissioner. It is therefore in the fitness of things that the last three entries come from the Agriculture commissioner Dr Gurbachan Singh. He visits Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Maharashtra to review the preparedness for Kharif ,2010. However, the observations are relevant for the Kharif crop of subsequent years as well. In fact, the idea of the drill is to ensure that a SOP (Standard Operating Practice) is in place to ensure that irrespective of changes in personnel, the system should run in a perfect manner.
Before closing, it must be mentioned that like the gazetteers of yore, this book is a labour of love. None of the authors is a ‘professional writer’, and everyone has followed his own unique style. But it must be added that the ‘labour of love’ was gently induced by DAC Secretary PK Basu who insisted that officers leave the cozy precincts of Krishi Bhawan, travel to the farmers’ field, interact with the scientists at ICAR and SAUs and understand the reality at the grassroots. The result is there for the reader to see, but even before the book goes into print, the officers who have written these reports feel enriched by their travels and interactions, and this, by itself is fair recompense.