Small Farmers and Information in agriculture.pptx

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1. Small Farmers and Information Indian private companies and NGOs are global leaders in providing information to farmers, as a spinoff from India’s meteoric rise as a world leader in ICTs. E-Choupal (Internet Kiosks) has expanded access to internet in rural areas. Up to 6,400 internet kiosks were set up between 2000 and 2007 by ITC Limited, one of the largest agricultural exporters. It reaches about 4 million farmers growing a range of crops - soybean, coffee, wheat, rice, pulses or shrimp - in over 40,000 villages. They get free information in their language about local and global market prices, weather forecasts, farming practices and crop insurance. It serves as a purchase centre, cutting marketing costs and allowing farmers to obtain a bigger farm price.

2. Small Farmers and Information The M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation established Knowledge Centers in Pondicherry. The women self-help groups use the centers’ computers to manage their business accounts and coordinate their activities, using video links with the other villages. Mobile phone coverage in India is expanding at breakneck speed. By linking communication technologies to market exchanges in commercial centers, even small farmers can overcome the enormous informational asymmetries that limit their bargaining power in traditional supply chains. The revolution in mobile phones is helping the small farmers to get information about crop prices and input prices and other related information on agriculture.

3. Special Programmes for Small and Farmers National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganized sector (NCEUS) has advocated a special programme for marginal and small farmers. Objectives are: (1) to improve income prospects; (2) to improve the skill base; (3) provide income earning opportunities in the non-farm sector; (4) to ensure the needs of small farmers and adequately reflected in other agricultural and development programmes for livelihood security Principal activities proposed under the special programme are (a) Promotion of group approach to small farmers: It proposes setting up of Marginal and Small farmers’ development society (MSFDS) for the promotion, capacity building and coordination of development of

4. Special programme for small farmers Marginal and small farmrers’ groupsI (b) Enabling gender access to institutional credit (c) Training and capacity building (d) Support for strengthening and creation of non-farm activities (e) Gender focused activities (f) Planning for development of marginal and small farmers It also advocates implementation mechanism and financial resources, M&E Basically, the commission advocates that there is a need to special focus on small and marginal farmers for growth and equity in Indian agriculture

5. Rural non-farm sector Poverty can not be removed with 55% of workers in agri. Need to promote rural non-farm sector. India currently produces about 50 million tonnes of fruits and 90 million tonnes of vegetables. Only 2% of these fruits and vegetables are processed as against 23% in China, 78% in Phillippines , 83% in Malaysia. Half of those engaged in agriculture are still illiterate and just 5% have completed higher secondary educ. Even in 2004-05, around 60% of rural male workers and 85% of rural female workers are either illiterate or have been educated upto primary level. In other words, education and skills are constraints India can learn from China on rural transformation.

6. India and China: Manufacturing India leap frogged from agriculture to services without focusing on manufacturing sector. The share of employment in manufacturing in Malaysia is 50%, in Korea 62%, in China 31%. On the other hand, the share of employment in manufacturing in India is only 12% Diversification towards rural non-form sector in China is one of the important factors responsible for rural poverty reduction (poverty 3%). This was partly due to agricultural productivity.

7. Lessons from Indian Experience Green Revolution and Small Farms Food Grain Management Dairy Cooperatives Water management in Gujarat Self Help groups and group approach Rights based approach Learning from others: India can also learn from countries like China, Brazil. India can learn from China on rural transformation and infrastructure. It can also learn from Brazil on agricultual research (like EMBRAPA) and zero hunger program

8. Conclusions This paper examines the role and challenges of small holding agriculture. India has done well in attainting food grains self sufficiency since the days of green revolution. Difference between green revolution period and the expected ‘second green revolution’ is that (a) globalization challenges, volatility in prices (b) shrinking farm size (c) rain fed farming challenges (d) environmental stress and climate change Small farmers are certainly going to remain in India the next decade or more. Way ahead: Main goals are (a) raising agri. growth productivity rise, move towards high value agri. and rural non-farm and maintain food security (b) shared growth (small farmers, lagging regions, women etc. (c) sustainable growth

9. Conclusions There are six deficits in agriculture. These are: (a) investment, credit, infrastructure (b) research, extension (technology) (c) Market (d) diversification (e) institutions (f) education/skill Food security has been an overriding priority in India’ since the 1960s. The focus paid off with attaining food grain security and poverty reduction. The strategy concentrated on rice and wheat in irrigated areas. The future growth will need to rely on a dual strategy of diversification into non-cereal high value crops and rainfed areas with focus on small farms. Basically investment and institution strategies have to focus on small and marginal farmers, women farmers, rainfed areas, environmental stress, rural non-farm sector for sustainable agri -transformation.

10. Conclusions Small farmers have difficulties to access inputs, credit and extension or to market their output. Investment in infrastructure like roads, irrigation, communications etc. can benefit small farmers Many institutional innovations are coming up to link small farmers to high value agriculture and help increasing their productivity and marketing (contracting farming, dairy sector, cooperative marketing). ICT revolution in India is also helping small farmers with information, input supplies and marketing Risk mitigation strategies are needed for small farms. There is a recognition now that small farmers need a special focus in order to have growth and equity in agriculture and food security.

11. Conclusion Elephant (India) can learn from Dragon (China) on rural transformation particularly rural industrialization. Small farmers need agri. Diversification and income from rural non-farm sector. Need for massive increase in investments for agriculture and rural infrastructure by simultaneously improving the institutions for better delivery systems Govt. is thinking of big push to health and education in 12 th Plan Such a big push is needed for agriculture sector for food security, livelihoods, sustainability and transformation.

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