I am delighted to be here at this Conclave on Micro Irrigation – as it is an issue which is close to my heart, and I am convinced that this is the technology of the future – the technology which will enable Indian agriculture to break the barriers of production and productivity. It is through Micro irrigation and associated technologies that marginal and small farmers can enhance their productivity levels ,improve their incomes, and motivate the next generation to continue with farming, albeit in a modern way.
As we are all aware, Agriculture continues to be the backbone of Indian economy, and there is a broad consensus today that unless we have a resurgent agriculture, the Indian growth story will not be sustainable. This however is easier said than done. As mentioned in the background reading material, the National Mission on Micro Irrigation has been given the mandate of mainstreaming micro irrigation in the agriculture production system. During the Conclave you will be deliberating on the experiences of state governments, the steps taken by them to ensure proper selection of beneficiaries and timely payment to equipment suppliers, the technological advances made in this sector, global best practices and the ways in which MI can mitigate environmental concerns , besides of course, ensuring that every drop of water becomes productive.
Friends, we are having this conclave during the monsoon session, and therefore we see water all around ! I am also aware that the prediction of a normal monsoon brings cheer to the farming community, as Indian agriculture is still substantially dependent on rainfall This makes it imperative for us to ensure that available resources are utilized efficiently, sustainably, and economically to get the best yields W e must also reckon with the fact that water, the single most important production input for agriculture is not only becoming scarce on account of increasing demands from the non agricultural sector , its availability is also becoming highly unpredictable on account of climate change. This , coupled with faster groundwater depletion, is the Herculean challenge before all those engaged in the practice and discourse on agriculture.
Many countries have responded to this challenge, and India is not lagging behind. Over the last few years, we have covered an area of 3.17 mha under micro irrigation, and though as a percentage of the total potential of 70 mha, there is still a lot more to be achieved, the first and the most difficult step – that of convincing farmers that this is a viable, proven and cost effective intervention – has been taken successfully, and the main issue that we face today is requests from state governments asking for enhancement of their quota under MI.
I would take this opportunity to compliment States which have taken pro-active steps in popularizing micro irrigation. The top performing states are AP and Maharashtra with a coverage of 22% and 19% respectively. Rajasthan, Karnataka and Gujarat have also shown very good progress. These states have been asked to make a presentation on how they have overcome the initial difficulties. I would encourage the Missions Directors of other states to take their farmers, and officers from agriculture and horticulture departments to these states to see how these examples can be successfully applied in their home states.
As mentioned earlier, this technology came up in countries like Israel and US to address problems of increasingly scarce water resources. However the good news is that this has been thoroughly indigenized, and made appropriate for the Indian field conditions – both in terms of specifications, and costs. Over two hundred equipment manufacturers are now registered with the NMMI, and some of India’s leading brands in this sector – Jain Irrigation, Netafim, Finolex Plasson, Premier-Adritec, Automat, Nagarjuna Chemicals & Fertilizers, Harvel-Agua India etc- are extending their services beyond the shores of the country. Likewsie, many MNCs, like John Deere & Mahindra-EPC are entering this arena. This is the new sunrise sector of Indian agriculture – and there is space for all kinds of enterprises, entrepreneurs and institutional mechanisms to make their contribution to this sector.
I am glad to note that the conclave offers a platform to all stakeholders to exchange their views on high tech innovations, global best practices, and examples from within our country. I am glad that fertigation issues will be discussed at some length, for micro irrigation will also change the way in which nutrient management is currently practiced in the country. We will also need to incorporate liquid fertilizer as an important component in the fertilizer policy ,especially as the first reports on application of micro irrigation in paddy fields of Punjab, conducted by the PAU and state agriculture department have shown positive results. As micro irrigation spreads beyond horticulture , we are looking at mainstreaming it all the schemes of the Agriculture Ministry.
Friends, I am aware that high initial investment is still the factor hindering the growth story. I understand that most banks are still not comfortable with extending loans to farmers for purchase of MI equipment. My attention has been drawn to this, and I will take up this matter in right earnest. I assure you that this sector will get the topmost priority both in terms of policy support and financial outlays. Meanwhile, there is scope for ours agricultural scientists, technologists and industry to bring down the costs , especially with increasing popularity and growing volumes.
I hope that this Conclave will give a boost to investments in the micro -irrigation sector by ensuring the right blend of ‘international expertise’ and our own ‘down – to –earth’ adaptive skills. In many ways, this is already happening – we need to up scale and support the process.
Before closing, I would again like to thank the organizers for getting all the stakeholders together. We need to listen to each other, especially farmers and state governments because the actual implementation on the ground calls for effective co-ordination , and seamless integration, and I am sure this Conclave will strengthen the process.