Unless Government lifts restriction on export of farmers’ produce outside the State and the country, the incomes of farmers cannot increase significantly, said S. Narsing Rao, Principal Secretary to Telangana Chief Minister.
Speaking at the National Workshop on “Doubling of Farmers’ Income by 2022” organised by Centre for Good Governance and the NABARD at the MCRHRD Centre here on Wednesday, Mr. Narsing Rao said the Compounded Annual Growth Rate in agriculture should be 14.5% if the income of farmers were to be doubled. The present growth rate is around 2.2%.
Any amount of subsidies, assistance to farmers to reduce cost of production would not result in increasing their incomes as witnessed in the last 20 to 25 years. “Exports hold the key. Apart from measures to ensure diversification and higher productivity, farmer should have the freedom to sell his produce at the best possible price to realise decent income.” he said.
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There should be a seamless institutional mechanism in the country to help the farmers export their produce for significant rise of real income not notional income. In the name of food security/sovereignty, Government’s focus was only on consumers despite the distress in the farm sector.
If India was only exporting 30 billion dollars worth of farm produce, where it would stand in competition from small countries like Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar with greater exports of farm produce.
Former Secretary Agriculture Mohan Kanda called for revolutionary change in the mindset of policy makers for doubling farmers’ income. There should be structural changes in agriculture and marketing policies and not mere superficial changes.
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Telangana Agriculture Secretary Parthasarathy said investment in the agriculture sector had not taken place to the desired extent in the last three to four decades after nation achieved self-sufficiency in food grain production. Remunerative agriculture was not possible with small holdings and agriculture today was characterised by low productivity, high input cost and lack of diversification. Value addition and food processing needed a good policy to attract young agro entrepreneurs.
He listed Telangana Government’s initiatives including ₹8,000 per acre towards input assistance towards beginning of season as bank credit was not available at the right time and free power supply. Government also announced support price for every crop. Agriculture had become crowded enterprise but farmers had no other viable option to come out and take up another activity, he said.
National Institute of Rural Dervelopment and Panchayati Raj Director General W.R. Reddy said a farmer’s income should be on par with at least that of monthly salary of lowest grade employee under the Seventh Pay Commission.
Government should introspect whether its macro schemes were inclusive of the marginal and small farmers with 73% of land holdings in the country. Unreliable agri-statistics would not help in addressing problems of farmers.
Besides reducing cost of production, quality health and education be extended to reduce distress in farmers’ families, he said.