AGRI-BUSINESS CAMP AT KOCHI ON 25TH OF JANUARY 2012

All rights are reserved to THE GREEN FLAME (that would be me), i.e, ask before copying.

SFAC (Small Farmers' Agri-Business Consortium) in partnership with Zonal Technology Management - Business Planning and Development Unit of Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (ZTM-BPD, CIFT) and Agri Business Incubation (ABI) Program - ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics) organized a one-day agri-business camp in Kochi on 25th of January 2012. The camp began at 10.30am in the King’s Court of Riviera Suites After registration. Dr. Ravisankar from SFAC addressed the audience first and welcomed the dignitaries and onlookers on behalf of the organizers.

Mr Karuppanchetty, COO, ABI-ICRISAT introduced the participating institutions. He drew out the depiction of agriculture to Agri-business conversion. The speech encompassed details of ABM and SFAC in general and NIABI in particular. NIABI is a national Initiative of the National Agricultural Innovation Project (NAIP) of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) formed by ABI-ICRISAT. It is funded by the World Bank. The mandate is to groom, help, train and offer incubation services. It has Business Planning and Development Centres (BPDs) across India that facilitates commercialization of innovative agro-technologies through agri-business development to benefit the farmers. They help entrepreneurs’ access technologies ready for commercialisation with agricultural institutes. The organisation provide a one-stop solution for agri-business incubation with the help of 10 Business Planning and Development Units across the country.

The Agri-Business Incubator (ABI) is a place where the process of starting Agri-business venture are catalysed by supporting the entrepreneurs with Agriculture Technology, Business Consultancy, Networking with Management Experts, Venture Capital Funding Infrastructures and Facilities. The incubator maximizes success of the venture by offering the best opportunity with a minimum risk. ABI is an initiative of ICRISAT in partnership with Department of Science and Technology (DST, Govt. of India). The bigger picture is that by strengthening the agricultural enterpreneurs – Agripreneurs India can become self-sufficient and achieve food security once in for all. it is the backward linkages of the agriculture based businesses that will be of assistance to the farmers.

Mr Nithin Singh representing CIFT next addressed the gathering. The Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) is the only technology Institute in India which caters to the entire spectrum of fisheries from harvest. The Zonal Technology Management Centre & Business Planning and Development Unit (ZTMC-BPD) at Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Cochin was inaugurated in 2009. ZTM-BPD Unit is an agribusiness incubation programme designed for the Indian agricultural sector to promote entrepreneurs and create profitable business ventures using the innovations and technologies available with the agricultural research institutions under ICAR. A Business Incubator nurtures the development of technology based and knowledge driven companies helping them to survive and grow during the start-up period (2-3 years) by providing an integrated package of technology, work space, shared office services, access to specialized equipment and value added services like management assistance, business planning, access to finance, technical assistance and networking support. The primary goal of a business incubator is to produce successful businesses that are able to operate independently and financially viable. The procedure for obtaining finance from bank, few case studies and success stories were also talked over.

Mr Ashok B.Pillai, Director, SFAC, covered the history of SFAC and explained their ‘VENTURE CAPITAL FOR AGRIBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT’ scheme. SFAC is financial consortium specialized in agriculture financing.  It is a developmental Institution, under the Department of Agriculture and Co-operation, with its core aims and objectives focused on increased production and productivity, value addition, and provision of efficient linkages between producers and consumers. It deals with agriculture in its wider connotation, including fisheries and horticulture. To promote investments in agri-business projects with the participation of nationalized banks, SBI and subsidiaries/IDBI The venture capital assistance scheme was launched.

The Scheme provides 10 per cent of total project cost or 26 per cent of the total project equity or Rs 75 lakh whichever is lower to agri-business entrepreneurs. ( for projects located in North-Eastern and Hilly States (Uttrakhand, Himichal Pradesh, J & K), the quantum of Venture Capital will be the lowest of 25% of the total project cost assessed by the bank or 40% of the project equity or Rs. 75.00 Lakhs. In special cases, higher venture capital can be considered by SFAC to deserving projects on merit and to projects that are located in remote and backward notified districts, North-Eastern and Hilly States and in projects recommended by State agencies subject to maximum of Rs. 3 crores.)Till now, SFAC has sanctioned 349 projects and invested slightly more than Rs 100 crore across the country. In Kerala, SFAC provided venture capital to 15 units and the organisation hope to assist many more entrepreneurs in the State with the help of Business Planning and Development Unit at CIFT.

The session was rather interactive with the involvement of some entrepreneurs and representatives of government. One entrepreneur enquired about assistance for open field cultivation, however she was told the assistance is provided for infrastructural facilities alone hence can’t be extended to open field cultivation but can be given for protected structures, storage structures etc. When asked about starting a potato processing unit she was advised to first attach with an established unit such as that of Lays etc. (in contract to provide raw material) ,evolve a novel product and then only delink to start an own unit. A representative of KVK expressed his concerns about the existing norms. He complained that by defining a small farmer as one with less than 2 hectares or 5 acres of land most of the farmers of Kerala are included in the category however, as per the norms stipulating that 50lack is the minimum investment of the projects being funded (for which 10% assistance is given) this becomes unaffordable to Kerala farmers with extremely small farm holdings. The solution given was to form famer’s societies/ Farmer collectives and pool the resources at hand.

Mr Ramakrishnan, the MD of state SFAC next spoke to us, in Malayalam for specifics of Kerala scenario. The criteria for venture capital assistance, project develop facilities, different projects etc. were discussed. Eligible Criteria for Funding is that the Project should be in agriculture or allied sector (basically perishables namely Horticulture, floriculture, medicinal and aromatic plants, minor forest produce, apiculture, and fisheries. poultry and dairy projects not covered under the scheme) ,Project should provide assured market to farmers/ producer groups, Project should encourage farmers to diversify into high value crops, to increase farms incomes, and finally Project should be accepted by banks for grant of term loan. It is also important to give gap for venture capital assistance after the own fund and finance from bank while preparing the project proposal. Also there will be no interest for the fund provided as venture capital until the bank loan is completely repaid on condition that the mortgage provided as guarantee will be returned only after the repayment of venture capital also. Project Development Facility (PDF) functions to provide financial assistance to farmers, Producer Groups, agri-preneurs, Units in Agri-Export Zones, Organizations and Agriculture graduates for the preparation of bankable Detailed Project Reports (DPR).

It was interesting to know about the Aqua Technology Park, at Kodungallur near Aluva in Ernakulam district. Its 3 tier structure with Export hub with conditioning and packing units, satellite farms and the homestead farms that act as the rearing units was an inspiring example for a well-organized enterprise. Experience sharing of an entrepreneur from Ernakulam who owns a cold storage structure near the international airport for vegetables and other perishables followed.

In the succeeding session Dr. A.K Sherif from College of Agriculture, Vellayani spoke about the AC-ABC scheme. Agriclinics & Agribusiness centers (AC&ABC) Scheme is jointly sponsored by NABARD, Ministry of Agriculture, Govt of India, SFAC(Small farmers Agribusiness consortium) and MANAGE(National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management). Agri-Clinics are envisaged to provide expert advice and services to farmers on technology, cropping practices, protection from pests and diseases, market trends, prices of various crops in the markets and also clinical services for animal health, etc. which would enhance productivity of crops/animals and increased income to farmers. Agri- Business centers are envisaged to provide farm equipments on hire, sale of inputs and other services. Objectives of the scheme are to provide extension and other services to farmers on payment basis, support agriculture development and entrepreneurship, and promote self-employment for graduates and allied sciences.

Mr Bijulal made another presentation on Green Touch, A recently evolved consortium of leading Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry. Afterwards Mr Venu S Menon, the asst. general manager NABARD spoke about relation between NABARD and SFAC and Mr Thampi Kurian head of agriculture department of federal bank about the financial inclusion and financial introversy, group farming loans etc. Financial inclusion or inclusive financing is the delivery of financial services at affordable costs to sections of disadvantaged and low income segments of society. Though venture capital assistance requires financing from nationalised banks like SBI and subsidiaries/IDBI the interaction with the private banks representative brought out more possibilities. He emphasised the fact that since the reserve bank has put up norms in such a way that if the particular percentage of Agricultural loans are not sanctioned in a financial year the bank should remit the amount at the RBI the Agricultural loans are requirement of the bank and not a favour to the farmers.

The camp, attended by 120 people, provided a platform for identifying the emerging opportunities in the field of Agri-Business Development and sensitised various funding opportunities through SFAC. Agri-entrepreneurs, farmer's bodies and associations, financial institutions, NGOs, government agencies, industry associations, Business students and a group from College of Agriculture Vellayani comprising 18students and Dr. A.K.Sherief attended the camp. The camp was a wonderful learning experience.

Globalisation and Kerala Agriculture

All rights are reserved to THE GREEN FLAME (that would be me), i.e, ask before copying.

Kerala situation is different from other states of India or even the global scenario with regard to developmental sectors. The Kerala model is characterised by high life quality indices even at low GDP, this was made possible by deliberate strategies taken by the communist government in the development of Agriculture, Industry and service sectors of Kerala. The literacy status and impact education system on developmental sectors is also immense especially introduction of innovations and new technology. Kerala society is well educated and aware critically analysing each changes in science, technology and politics. There is a well decentralised and democratic government system, good public distribution system and strong local self governance and timely and unbiased elections and responsive voters.


The agriculture scenario of Kerala is also special. For one thing Kerala is blessed with diverse Climatic conditions and relief/ elevation in the small piece of land making it possible to grow a wide range of crop plants. The westernghat region of Kerala is a biological hotspot for genetic diversity of a number of plants. The cropping system prevalent in Kerala is homestead agriculture where the farmer has a piece of land in which his house hold crop field, livestock etc are integrated in a system approach. The land holdings are comparatively small, as a result of bhooparishkaranam by 1st ems government which despite of its disadvantages brought about equality among the people and justice to those once discriminated by religion and cast. Also today most of the cultivators are part-time farmers and diverse crops including a major chunk of tree crops are cultivated.

40% of land is under plantation crops and in this 20% of this in households. Since major cropping system is homestead system there is direct impact of policies in the households and farming community. The land use and cropping pattern is peculiar and responsive to tradable commodities and directly affected by the global prices. The effect of globalisation and liberalisation was different for different regions, different crops and different classes of society and in different time periods. In General Globalisation followed by Liberalisation and De-regularisation brought about two major changes in Kerala Agriculture 1. We were unable to attain food security and 2. There was a decline in price of the plantation crops / cash crops.

Food Insecurity

Reasons:

In general:-

1. Paddy cultivation was not remunerative to the farmer
a. Lack of own land
b. Lack of agricultural credit
c. Low price in the market
d. Low productivity
i. Lack of HYV
ii. Poor management
iii. Cultivation practices not compatible to the environmental conditions
e. High cost of inputs
i. Ill effects of green revolution
ii. Unscientific use of chemical fertilizers and plant protection chemicals
iii. Deterioration of Soil and water bodies
f. Labour intensive cultivation
i. Unavailability of skilled labourers
ii. High wages
g. Pest and disease incidence
i. Lack of resistant varieties
ii. Unavailability of new variety - knowledge and seeds to farmers
h. Difficulty of weed management
i. System of leaving fallow after kharif crop or in summer season
ii. Introduced weeds
iii. Speciality of rice ecosystem and problem of chemical application
i. Difficulty in mechanisation
i. Low capital availability
ii. Small land holdings
iii. Unavailability of technology
iv. Unavailability of machines
v. Unavailability of skill
j. Lack of technology and its implementation
i. Unavailability of good quality HYV seeds
ii. Lack of knowledge of new practices like single seedling method

2. Loss of paddy fields
a. Reclamation for buildings
b. Converted to garden lands
c. Unscientific and non ecofriendly practices

3. Reluctance of young generation to take up agriculture as a profession

Impact of globalisation and new development policy:-

1. Government was forced to walk off development sector
a. Subsidies insufficient
b. Exploitation of private input companies
c. Exploitation by middle men in marketing
d. Loss of good market
e. Low support price
f. Post harvest losses
g. Poor public distribution
h. Decrease in risk bearing capacity of farmer

Other contributors:

1. Reluctance for investment in agriculture sector

2. Lack of initiative and involvement from
a. Government
b. Scientific community
c. Common people/Farmers and other stake holders

3. Hidden interest of monopolies in the possession of Kerala agriculture and land, genetic resources

4. Changing governments

5. Social mayhem
a. Liquor
b. Mafias and Quotation teams
c. Attacks towards women
Goals:

Ideally in order to achieve complete justice

1. the land should be completely brought under the ownership of government
2. the farmers should be given a fixed and reasonable wages for his contribution in the production

Steps towards it:

1. The dignity of agriculture as a profession should be upheld
2. Everyone should become a part-time agriculturalist
a. Kitchen gardens
b. Terrace cultivation
c. Homestead cultivation
3. Scientific innovation
a. High yielding, disease and pest resistant, Tolerant to abiotic stress varieties
b. GM crops which have better nutritional quality
c. Better machinery
d. Better cultivation practices
e. Organic cultivation
f. Integrated pest, disease, weed management
4. Involvement of Public sector
a. take up distribution of certified seeds
b. Assure credit availability
c. make machinery available for farmers
d. Collect harvest from farmers
e. Give good price to farmers
f. Processing
g. Value addition
h. Proper storage
i. Packing
j. Marketing
k. Export
5. Government policies
a. Empowerment of landless, poor and marginal farmers
b. Subsidising farming sector
c. Support price
d. Margin free markets
e. Crop insurance
f. Recognition to farmers
g. Empowerment of cooperatives
i. In Seed, fertilizer, plant protection chemicals production
ii. In agricultural credit
iii. In post harvest technology
iv. In marketing

Decline in price of the plantation crops / cash crops

Reasons:

In general:-

1. Low quality of planting material
2. Poor management practices
3. Lack of mechanisation
4. High labour cost
5. Lack of proper processing and marketing facility for the produce
6. Lack of knowledge on new technologies

Impact of globalisation and new development policy:-

FTA and Incompetence of our produce in global market

By Free Trade Agreement (FTA) the concept of domestic market is replaced by global market and the produce from other countries and being accumulated in our markets without regulations or tariff. Other countries like America give high rates of subsidies for agriculture and use new technologies and are able to produce large quantities of produce and able to sell at lower prices. On the other hand our government is forced out of production sector, subsidies are removed, funding for domestic research are not sufficient and our technologies not up to the mark or unavailable to the farming community.

Goals and Steps:

1. Agricultural Innovations
a. Development of new varieties
i. High yielding
ii. Disease and pest resistant
iii. Tolerant to climate change
iv. Fertilizer responsive
v. Higher nutritional status
vi. Better quality
vii. Better keeping quality
b. Removal of senile palms and re-plantation
c. Proper training and pruning practices
d. Better agronomic practices
e. Judicious application of fertilizers and plant protection chemicals

2. Government Involvement

a. Distribution of quality planting material
b. Provide agricultural credit
c. Start processing units in public sector
d. Strengthen domestic market
e. Subsidy
f. Market stabilization
g. Fix minimum support price
h. Facility to collect and store farmers produce
i. Ware house facilities
j. Processing, value addition and export

Role of Education

h. Include agriculture in school curriculum
i. Revise curriculum and critically analyse contribution of KAU
j. Improvement extension

What KAU can do?

KAU, Kerala Agriculture University can have a leading position in the changes being made and to be made in Kerala agriculture sector. The mandate of KAU itself is Teaching, Research and Extension. The problem KAU is facing at the time being is essentially lack of resources eg. Sufficient fund for research. The Agriculture graduates are often un-employed or under employed even though they are valuable keys to agricultural improvement as technical and extension personals.

Plant Breading and Genetics is the key to Sustainable Agriculture

Concept 1. NUE+BMP=SA

(to be continued...)

Who Named Mouse, Mouse??

At least some of you may be familiar with the joke where when kinder garden students were asked the sound of mouse they answered in chorus 'Click'... Anyhow all idiots reading this are certainly all too familiar with the most handy ‘two buttons and a scroll wheel’ wired pointing device you click more than a cent times a day. Ever wondered who named mouse, mouse???? After a bit of browsing about the virtual globe I come up with a not so satisfactory answer with which I have to be convinced.

Of course first the baby has to be born to name it… So where and when was mouse born?? Of course the ancient ancestors’ abacus or Antikythera mechanism, not even the analytical engine or ENIAC had a mouse right?? Literature says the first marketed integrated mouse shipped in 1970 by the German company Telefunken as a part of the SIG-100 console for the Telefunken TR440 computer. It has been published in a magazine, two months before Douglas Engelbart introduced his model. That’s no surprise… I mean it was along with the micro processors or rather Intel processors (Intel 4004 – first complete CPU on 1 chip) and out about 10 years before personal computers or home computers took over. And if you think about it Mouse must have been introduced along with windows operating systems, at least something close to that.. Dos operating system used only typed in commands only correct?? The years don’t add up though. MS DOS came around 1981 and Windows versions from 1985... Mouse was invented long before that. May be it was not used so much before windows I would assume.

The name mouse originated at the Stanford Research Institute. Engelbart shared credit for the name with 'a small group in my lab at SRI.'  Nobody among his colleagues seems to remember who first nicknamed the device, but all agree that the name was given because the cord ('tail') initially came out the 'back' of the device.  'Very soon we realized that the connecting wire should be brought out the "front" instead of the back,' Engelbart notes, but by then the name had stuck." And interestingly The Microsoft(R) Manual of Style for Technical Publications (ed. Amanda Clark, Microsoft Press, 1995, ISBN 1-55615-939-0) says:  "Avoid using the plural mice; if you need to refer to more than one mouse, use mouse devices." That’s more of a grammar class, anyhow makes sense since the term mice reminds of the furry creature with tangling tails more than the polished handy accessory.

Besides I would imagine with the new generation of cordless mouses the reference of the name is no more and I don’t even use mouse anymore, though due to familiarity it more handy, I find it difficult to connect the mouse along with the photon, data chord, pen drive etc in the lap, man I need more ports. Anyhow touch screen mobile, touch screen ATMs... Well touch pad will take over completely soon if it already haven’t, and mice will once again be found only in garbage. Anyhow the sense of touch was known and cherished long before the digital era. And Personally I think touch is not given as much consideration as the other four senses, which simple isn't fair. While you’re other four senses (sight, hearing, smell, and taste) are located in specific parts of the body, your sense of touch is found all over. Imagine how boundless the pleasure it grant. Which is by the by way off our topic :-P!!

Some Simple Facts About ASEAN Pact

1. The ASEAN pact signed between India and ASEAN countries is an economic agreement for cross border free trade. i.e., in simplest terms removal of the import regulations and tariffs that are excreted on foreign merchandise for sustenance and empowerment of our economy (which help sustaining judicious price levels in the domestic market, since the entry of cheap produce from other countries-who have sufficient investing power and machines and technology- in to our domestic market would mean hammering of market for native produce)


2. The countries in the pact all lie near the equator which means they share the same climatic and geographic features as Kerala and hence cultivate almost the same crops. Also these countries exhibit better productivity than us in these.

3. ASEAN pact means there will be free flow of products, services and investments into the countries and the most critical will be its effect on Kerala's economy. Kerala's economy is based on cash crops like Coconut, Rubber, Cardamom, Fish, Coir, Tea and Pepper and also the income from oversea/gulf immigrations. Its future is already foggy after the global economic crisis and this agreement is bound to make the situation worse.

4. Not only does the Asean countries have better productivity than us they have lesser production cost, so they will be able to bring cheap products to the market. Also it should be noted that these crops are long duration perennial crops of high initial investment and any price falls in the market will have immediate effect on the farmers and subsequently market failure.

5. Not only did the union government rush to sign the agreement even after the severity of the situation to Kerala's agriculture and fisheries to the Prime Minister they didn't even present the details of the agreement in the parliament.

6. Though India's first condition was to include 1460 products in the negative list, the number have been reduced to 486 and there is not much chance for even this if the agreement proceeds. Also most of Kerala’s agriculture produce are in the normal list for which the tariff is to be reduced to 5% in coming 10 years.

7. Conditionalities of the agreement will come into being from 2010 January 1st. And though it is said that the effects wouldn't be pronounced for 7years only after which the tariffs will be completely removed it is estimated to create chaos to our people within 3 years time.

8. The developed nations are giving high subsidies to their farmers at the same time they ask our government from giving subsidies to native farming community. Removal of these and entry of free trades will simple shatter our already imbalanced food security.

9. There are some saying that this pact will aid in the development of the industrial sector of our nation but it should be noted that Singapore, China, Japan etc are countries where industrialization took root and are major trade centers. Can Indian products compete with the products of these countries??

10. In nut shell Asean Pact is going to shatter our dreams for achieving Economic Security or Food Security. It is going to smash our industrial and agricultural sectors to smithereens. It is going to leave our people unemployed and starving. This is our problem!

Rise Against ASEAN Pact

ഞാന്‍ ചുരുക്കി പറയാം, കാര്യം ഇത്ര മാത്രം. 'ASEAN' എന്നാല്‍ അസോസിയേഷന്‍ ഓഫ് സൌത്ത് ഈസ്റ്റ്‌ ഏഷ്യന്‍ നാഷന്‍സ് . A geo-political and economic organization of 10 countries located in Southeast Asia, which was formed in 1967for acceleration of economic growth, social progress, cultural development among its members, the protection of the peace and stability of the region, and to provide opportunities for member countries to discuss differences peacefully. Ok ഗ്രേറ്റ്‌ നല്ല കാര്യം. ഇനി ASEAN കരാര്‍ എന്നതാ എന്ന് നോക്കാം, ആസിയന്‍ സ്വതന്ത്ര വ്യാപാര കരാര്‍ നമ്മുടെ കര്‍ഷകമെഖലയെ കാര്ന്നുതിന്നന്‍  പോകുന്ന സാമ്രാജ്യത്വ കെണിയാണ്. കര്‍ഷക ആത്മത്ത്യയെന്നു പറഞ്ഞു കരഞ്ഞു നടന്നാല് പോര അതുണ്ടാകാതെ നോക്കാന്‍ പഠിക്കണം. നമ്മുടെ നാട് ഒരു വികസ്വര രാജ്യമാനെന്നതില്‍ ആര്‍കും സംശയം ഇല്ലല്ലോ ?? ഗ്ലോബല്‍ മാര്‍ക്കട്ടുമായി  കിടപിടിച്ചു നിക്കാന്‍ നമ്മുടെ ഡോമെസ്റിക് മാര്കെട്ടിനു പട്ടുമെന്നാണോ??  ഇല്ല.. അതെല്ലര്‍ക്കും അറിയാം. രണ്ടാം ലോകമഹായുദ്ത്തിനു ശേഷം കോളനിവല്കരണം എന്നാ പേരിലുള്ള ചൂഷണം പറ്റില്ലെന്ന് കണ്ടപ്പോ കുത്തക മുതലാളികളും capitalist മൂരാച്ചികളും ചേര്‍ന്ന് കണ്ടെത്തിയ ഒരു പുതിയ ചൂഷണ മാര്‍ഗം മാത്രമാണീ സ്വതന്ത്ര വ്യാപാര മേഖല. സ്വന്തം നാട്ടില്‍ ഏതവന് ചത്താലും തനിക്കു ലാഭമുണ്ടാക്കിയമതി എന്നോര്കുന്നവന്‍, ബംബര്‍ ക്രോപ്പ് ഉണ്ടാകുമ്പോ ഹെകട്രു കണക്കിന് ഭകഷ്യ ധാന്യം തീ ഇട്ടു ഉണ്ടാക്കുന്ന ലാഭതോടു കിടപിടിക്കാന്‍ ഒരു ജനാധിപത്യ ദരിദ്ര വികസ്വര രാജ്യമായ ഇന്ത്യയുടെ അഭ്യന്തര വിപണിക്ക് ആകില്ല. ഇത് അറിഞ്ഞിരിക്കെ നമ്മുടെ വിപണിയെ ആഗോലവല്‍കരിക്കാനും ഉദരവല്‍കരിക്കാനും മുതിരുക വഴി നമ്മുടെ ചെറുകിട കര്‍ഷകരെ മരണത്തിലേക്ക് തള്ളിവിടുകയാണ് ഇന്ത്യന്‍ സര്‍കാരിന്റെ ഇത്തരം പുതിയ നയങ്ങള്‍. കൂടുതല്‍ നീട്ടുന്നില്ല നമ്മുടെ നാടിനും, നമ്മെ തീറ്റി പോറ്റുന്ന കര്‍ഷക ജനതക്കുമായി, ഗാന്ധിജയന്തി ദിനത്തില്‍ CPI(M) സന്ഖടിപിക്കുന്ന  മനുഷ്യ ചങ്ങലയില്‍ കണ്ണികളായി പ്രതിഷേധം അറിയിക്കാന്‍ എല്ലാവരും തയ്യാറാകണമെന്ന് അഭ്യര്‍ഥിക്കുന്നു.
ലാല്‍ സലാം
sorry for the spelling mistakes.. Anyhow I just had to do it in Malayalam simple because I am not talking for the elite degnified educated communities but for the poor farmers. സര്‍വസാധാരണക്കാരായ കേരളീയ കര്‍ഷകര്‍ക്കായി ശബ്ദമുയര്തനാണ് ഞാന്‍ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നത് അതിനു എനിക്ക് അന്ഗ്ലെയ ഭാഷയുടെയോ കോളേജ് ഡിഗ്രീകളുടെയോ ആവശ്യം ഇല്ല, പാശ്ചാത്യ വല്‍കൃത സമൂഹത്തില്‍, പുറമോടികളുടെ നിറചാലിക്കലില് മുഴുകി സ്വന്തം നാടിനെ മറക്കുന്ന ഇന്നത്തെ തലമുറയ്ക്ക് അന്ന്യം നിന്ന് പോയ മാതൃഭാഷയാനെനിക്കിഷ്ടം, എനിക്ക് പ്രധാനം.

Food Security In India

This is my seminar paper on food security (or rather insecurity) in India for the group discussion today at college, responses are welcomed!! Also reminding all rights are reserved to THE GREEN FLAME (that would be me), i.e, ask before copying. That can be helpfull to you also because I can tell you the sites I visited, and where you can find authentic data, news coverage of the topic and more information!

The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has pointed out in it’s report brought out in 2002 that 24% of Indian population are malnourished and other 1/5th of our population suffers from chronic hunger. However this cannot be taken as a function of under production of food grains. The food security of India cannot be seen in isolation from the global scenario as well.
“Food Security” could be defined as “Reliable availability of sufficient quantity and quality of nutritious food for a population”. In the global scenario also food security is not directly related to worlds food production. In 2007 according to FAO there were record grain harvests. The record yield was 2100 million metric tonnes. If all the cereals grown had been distributed equally across 6.6 billion persons and used as food there would have been no crisis. The cereals alone would have supplied every one amounts of calories and proteins with about 30% left over.
But in reality all over the world it is estimated that about 923 million people are undernourished, 1.4 billion people live in extreme poverty and over 3 billion live in less than 2$s per day. It is in this background we have to look into the reasons of food insecurity.
There is a general perception that the food crisis is a by-product of ever increasing population. But there is no data to substantiate this argument. In fact, over the last 20 years, world food production has risen steadily at over 2% a year, while the rate of global population growth has dropped to 1.14% a year. Population is not outstripping food supply. But the real reason is that people are too poor to buy the food that is available. We're seeing people hungry at greater numbers than before even when there is food on the shelves.
Therefore to we have to look at the reasons for increasing food price by which people are priced out of the market.

1. One systemic cause for the price rise is held to be the diversion of food crops for other uses. Cereal stock is being diverted in many countries as livestock feed, sweetener (i.e., high-fructose corn syrup), raw material for plastic, and feedstock for fuel in the form of ethanol. An estimated 100 million tons of grain per year are being redirected from food to fuel. As farmers devoted larger parts of their crops to fuel production than in previous years, land and resources available for food production were reduced correspondingly. Filling a tank of an average car with bio fuel, amounts to as much maize (Africa's principal food staple) as an African person consumes in an entire year.
2. Another reason is the changing food habits i.e. increasing meat eating habits also have a major impact. Seven Kilogram’s of grains are equivalent to one Kilogram of beef.
3. The rise in the price of oil has heightened the costs of fertilizers the majority of which require petroleum or natural gas to manufacture. Because natural gas can substitute for petroleum in some uses increasing prices for petroleum lead to increasing prices for natural gas, and thus for fertilizer.
4. Higher prices for liquid fuels from petroleum increase the demand for bio fuels, which may result in diverting some crops from food to energy. This is another way in which increasing petroleum price contributes to the increase in price of food crops.
5. Speculation and futures trading have also contributed substantially to increase in prices of various essential commodities including food items.
6. Apart from the economic reasons mentioned above environmental factors leading to reduction in crop production also contribute to the increasing price of food crops. Major environmental factors affecting crop production are drought, heat wave, unseasonal rains, Cyclone and Diseases such as stem rust that cause 100% crop loss.
7. Large areas of croplands are lost year after year mainly due to soil erosion, water depletion and urbanization. Around 60,000 Sq.km per year of land becomes so severely degraded and becomes wasteland, adding to the crop supply problem.

Though all the points mentioned above are relevant in Indian scenario, inadequacy of public distribution system, exhaustion of buffer stock as a part of globalisation and rapid opening up of the agricultural sector to foreign competition from vastly subsidized food grain from developed countries are the specific issues leading to food crisis in India.
In July 2002 India was at an all time high 63.1 million tonnes of food grain stocks with Food Corporation of India (FCI). This exceeds the requirement for food security by about 20million tonnes, yet above 200 million people go hungry and 50 million are on the brick of starvation. The existence of food stocks above buffer requirements has not translated into availability.
Green Revolution using modern agricultural techniques and high yielding varieties of seeds resulted in a significant difference in regional concentration of food grain outputs. North and north-west of India became the granaries of India where as states like Kerala, Tamilnadu, Karnataka, Assam and Andhra Pradesh concentrated in to cash crop production. In this situation in order to ensure judicious distribution of food grains the government set up administered price system of public procurement and public distribution. This system ensured procurement of food grain at price safe guarding the interest of farmers, distribution of food grains through out the country at regulated price ensuring price control in open market and maintained satisfactory level of buffer stock of food grains ensuring national food security. However the impact of globalisation disrupted smooth operation of the system.
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreement on agriculture unfortunately has made developing countries like India more committed to marketisation of agriculture than developed countries like USA which have continued to maintain their high level of agricultural subsidies. This has made agriculture in India less profitable, discouraging farmers from the field resulting in reduction of agricultural production.
The governments of developed countries refuse to eliminate their outrageous agricultural subsidies while imposing their rules of international trade on the rest of the world. Their voracious trans-national corporations set prices, monopolise technologies, impose unfair certification processes on trade, and manipulate distribution channels, sources of financing, trade and supplies for the production of food worldwide. They also control transportation, scientific research, gene banks and the production of fertilisers and pesticides.
The worst of it all is that, if things continue as they are, the crisis will become even more serious. The production and consumption patterns of developed countries are accelerating global climate change, threatening humanity's very existence. These patterns must be changed. The irrational attempt to perpetuate these disastrous forms of consumerism is behind the sinister strategy of transforming grains and cereals into fuels.
Therefore the only way to an end to the food crisis is as the establishment of a peaceful and prosperous world and a just and equitable international order. The right to food is an inalienable human right. Hunger and malnourishment cannot be eradicated through palliatives, nor with symbolic donations which will not satisfy peoples' needs and will not be sustainable.
At the very least, agricultural production in India must first be rebuilt and developed. Sustainable small scale farming based, revitalising traditional models ensuring soil and water conservation and curbing big agri-business that relies on genetically altered strains and chemical pesticides may be promoted. At the same time the public procurement, storage and public distribution system should be strengthened.