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Copenhagen Consensus Center

Sector Expert Consultation on Agriculture

Rajasthan Priorities in collaboration with ARAVALI hosted a sector expert consultation on agriculture in Jaipur on October 5, 2017.

 

The objective of the consultation was to identify and brainstorm on most effective interventions for the State of Rajasthan in the agriculture sector and prioritize the best developmental solutions for State.  The sector experts discussed various topics for agriculture, value chain management, productivity, research, extension, inputs services and irrigations related issue for the State.

The sector experts consisted of researchers, practitioners, representatives from farmer association and serving as well as former officers of the government of Rajasthan. The brief list of interventions discussed during the consultation is as follows.  

Agricultural  Productivity

  1. Crop diversification
  2. Enhancing the productivity and shifting to high yield crops 
  3. Increase the cropping intensity – identification of geography and area-based crop
  4. Mix cropping

Land development

  1. Promote investment in rain-fed agriculture area - Higher subsidies and better policies to (as most subsidies and investment goes to command area)
  2. Pasture land development and development of existing wasteland (for fodder production/arable land)
  3. Reclamation of land-  alkaline, saline and acidic soil- process & technique
  4. Develop an Integrated land information management system
  5. Increase and promote the Social forestry
  6. Roadside plantation

Market

  1. Development of modern Agriculture markets (physical mandi)- E-market, with better infrastructure, facilities for grading, sorting, cleaning facilities  
  2. Restructuring and Reform APMC Act/issues around MSP and improve implementation
  3. Removing or reducing the middleman to ensuring the higher price  of produce to farmer
  4. In-time procurement
  5. Agriculture market intelligence system
  6. Predictive pricing system - Develop a system for better pricing information to farmer  (example of model by Tamilnadu university)
  7. Concept of optimum support price – mechanism to decide produce prices by farmers

Storage and warehouse

  1. Development of warehouse and storage facility along with better connectivity Research and Extension activities:
  2. Promotion of Agriculture extension activities for example community cadre development, support and capacity building of Krishi Sakhi and Pashu Sakhi etc: Better extension service (krishak Seva Kendra) - A village information centre or support system (availability of Agri expert) to farmers for better decision making to take up agriculture   (promote the micro-planning at individual level) 
  3. Allied income generation activities along with agriculture to support the consistency source of farmer's income - like extend animal husbandry, dairy,
  4. Identification, documentation, and promotion of low cost indigenous technology
  5. Provide skill development training directly to farmers to increase agricultural productivity
  6. Promotion of soil health card
  7. Capacity building and increase in number of extension providers at village level

Organic farming

  1. Integrated approach to (alternate)  farming - Zero budget and natural farming – by using Katuwa as well as Prakirtik kethi vikrya Mela-organic kisaan mela (connecting consumer with farmer)
  2. Promoting organic Manure and bio-agent (like Trichoderma)  to balance the soil nutrient (support system, subsidies or technical know-how for better preparation) (example of liquid gobar/ geomatt (organic manure)
  3. Standardization of process and certification
  4. Help producers in organic crops (most farming is naturally organic) to access value of products
  5. Organic farming to be dealt by ministry of agriculture than ministry of export
  6. Model for promoting integrated  farming for small land holding size
  7. Example of using havan masala (dhumra) along with rainwater (methodology of subhash ji Palekar)

Input services

  1. Promote the primary processing of produce at the level of farmer to increase the price of products
  2. Seed - indigenous,  low input cost, higher productivity  and provide more options for farmers
  3. Production and supply of seed locally
  4. Awareness, training and capacity building of farmers for using the latest technology like soil testing

Irrigation

  1. Water efficient tree plantation technique – Promotion and documentation
  2. Increase rainwater harvesting
  3. Promote sprinkle irrigation
  4. Better access to credit for drip irrigation and right pricing of drip irrigation by government
  5. Gravity-based drip irrigation system for small land holding

Access to Credit and insurance

  1. Better Implementation of crop insurance scheme (increase coverage in terms of involving more crop and better implantation)
  2. Enhance coverage of Kisaan credit card (by involving SHGs)- Reduce the additional charges

Information

  1. Linkage of farmers with government – platform better communication and interaction

Farmer producer organization

  1. Promote and strengthen - remove the legal requirement (like GST) to enable farmer participation and ownership (strengthen the already existing process and mechanism)

Others

  1. Promote the kitchen garden
  2. Cluster approach to farming

List of Participants