There is a difference between prices of agricultural and industrial commodities, by
which the farmers are at loss. Increase in input costs and fraudulent practices in selling
seeds, pesticides, black marketing of fertilizer and under rate of produces of farmers
make the condition of farmers more deplorable. Erratic calculation of number of
family members as a unit, recognition of agricultural labour as unskilled labour,
compound interest on agricultural loan, improper weight and measure regulation,
privatization of health and education and irrigation and above all, decreasing trend of
investment on agriculture by the government lead agriculture for a total collapse if no
rapid remedial measures are taken. Our contention is that this is equally important, if
not more, to achieve food security in a cost effective manner. The government plays an
active role to check food insecurity by certain welfare measures, which is deteriorating
work culture because of the passive role played by people. The strategy should ensure
that higher growth is accompanied by narrowing disparities in regional growth and of
productivity differential among different farm size groups. Rising flow of credit to
agriculture is normally associated with buoyancy in the farm sector. There is overestimating credit flows to actual agricultural operations in recent years. Indirect
finance to agriculture is a major proportion of the increase in agricultural credit by
commercial banks to agricultural sector. Direct payment to input dealers, irrigation
equipment suppliers and non-banking financial companies that lend to agriculture
through farmers as loan are provided by commercial banks. Farmers are the facilitators. Nurturing of plants several times to increase crop productivity is important as
food is made by plants. Fertile soil is important rather than hybrid seed. Diversity in
farming is the single most important modern technology to achieve food security in a
changing climate by giving importance to altering timing or location of cropping
activities. Increase in agricultural production is constrained by limited land area that
can be brought under cultivation. Further increase in intensity is, however, constrained by the extent to which irrigated area can be increased. The real intention of
food security bill is to provide two square meals a day to the poor instead of nutritional
food. Another source of leakage is diversion of food grain from fair price shops to the
unregulated market because of the price difference between subsidized grain and grain
sold through regular marketing channels, which make illegal profits. The paucity of
adequate shops is the factor in tribal area. The problem of adulteration is added to the
grave situation of targeted public distribution system. Movement restrictions have a
direct bearing on household level food security. Increasing economic costs of handling food grains, record procurements in recent years and widening difference
between the economic cost of food grains and the central issue price have led to rising
food subsidies in recent years. With this backdrop of acceleration of food prices and
sharpening of malnutrition, food insecurity and hunger among the poor household the
urgent intervention of Government is necessary for sustainable agriculture.
Agricultural crops suffer because of natural calamities and consequential crop
disease problems. Concerns of environmental pollution owing to unscrupulous use
of plant protection chemicals has prompted scientists to advocate for Integrated Pest
and Disease Management. Need based plant protection is one of the important
pillars of IPM and IDM.
Climate Change and Natural Capital …
271
which the farmers are at loss. Increase in input costs and fraudulent practices in selling
seeds, pesticides, black marketing of fertilizer and under rate of produces of farmers
make the condition of farmers more deplorable. Erratic calculation of number of
family members as a unit, recognition of agricultural labour as unskilled labour,
compound interest on agricultural loan, improper weight and measure regulation,
privatization of health and education and irrigation and above all, decreasing trend of
investment on agriculture by the government lead agriculture for a total collapse if no
rapid remedial measures are taken. Our contention is that this is equally important, if
not more, to achieve food security in a cost effective manner. The government plays an
active role to check food insecurity by certain welfare measures, which is deteriorating
work culture because of the passive role played by people. The strategy should ensure
that higher growth is accompanied by narrowing disparities in regional growth and of
productivity differential among different farm size groups. Rising flow of credit to
agriculture is normally associated with buoyancy in the farm sector. There is overestimating credit flows to actual agricultural operations in recent years. Indirect
finance to agriculture is a major proportion of the increase in agricultural credit by
commercial banks to agricultural sector. Direct payment to input dealers, irrigation
equipment suppliers and non-banking financial companies that lend to agriculture
through farmers as loan are provided by commercial banks. Farmers are the facilitators. Nurturing of plants several times to increase crop productivity is important as
food is made by plants. Fertile soil is important rather than hybrid seed. Diversity in
farming is the single most important modern technology to achieve food security in a
changing climate by giving importance to altering timing or location of cropping
activities. Increase in agricultural production is constrained by limited land area that
can be brought under cultivation. Further increase in intensity is, however, constrained by the extent to which irrigated area can be increased. The real intention of
food security bill is to provide two square meals a day to the poor instead of nutritional
food. Another source of leakage is diversion of food grain from fair price shops to the
unregulated market because of the price difference between subsidized grain and grain
sold through regular marketing channels, which make illegal profits. The paucity of
adequate shops is the factor in tribal area. The problem of adulteration is added to the
grave situation of targeted public distribution system. Movement restrictions have a
direct bearing on household level food security. Increasing economic costs of handling food grains, record procurements in recent years and widening difference
between the economic cost of food grains and the central issue price have led to rising
food subsidies in recent years. With this backdrop of acceleration of food prices and
sharpening of malnutrition, food insecurity and hunger among the poor household the
urgent intervention of Government is necessary for sustainable agriculture.
Agricultural crops suffer because of natural calamities and consequential crop
disease problems. Concerns of environmental pollution owing to unscrupulous use
of plant protection chemicals has prompted scientists to advocate for Integrated Pest
and Disease Management. Need based plant protection is one of the important
pillars of IPM and IDM.
Climate Change and Natural Capital …
271