Basic Issues in Agriculture

1. Basic Issues in Agriculture

2. Indian Agriculture • Agriculture Sector is changing the socio-economic environments of the population due to liberalization and globalization • About 75% people are living in rural areas and are still dependent on Agriculture. About 43% of India’s geographical area is used for agricultural activity • Agriculture continues to play a major role in Indian Economy

3. Indian Agriculture • Provides about 65% of the livelihood • Accounts for 27% of GDP • Contributes 21% of Total Exports, and Supplies Raw materials to Industries • Growth Rate in production - 5.7% • Food grains production – 211.17 mt

4. India’s position in world Agriculture Rank • Total Area Seventh • Irrigated Area First • Population Second • Economically Active population Second • Total Cereals Third • Wheat Second • Rice Second • Coarse grains Fourth • Total Pulses First • Oil Seeds Second • Fruits and Vegetables Second • Implements (Tractors) Third • Milk First • Live Stock (castles, Buffaloes) First

5. Agricultural Resources Total Geographical Area (TGA) - 329 M.H Potential for Biological Production - 265 M.H Net Sown Area (NSA) - 143 M.H Net Irrigated Area - 56 M.H Area threatened by land degradation - 50% of T GA Drought-prone Area - 190 M.H

6. Mile Stones in Agricultural Development • Green Revolution (1968) • Ever-Green Revolution (1996) • Blue Revolution (water, fish) • White Revolution (Milk) • Yellow Revolution (flower, edible) • Bio-Technology Revolution • ICT Revolution

7. Development of Indian Agriculture : Basic Issues • Revitalization of Cooperative Institutions • Improving Rural Credits • Research, Education & Extension • Human Resources Development • Trade & Export Promotion • Land Reforms • Enabling Environment for higher Agricultural Growth

8. The thrust areas: • Diversification of Agriculture • Inter-cropping • Micro Management • Water Management • Organic Farming • Agri-Clinics and Agri-business Centres • Bio-Technology

9. Efforts on Policies, strategies and Frameworks • National Agriculture Policy (2000) • National Seeds policy (2002) • Cooperative Policy • Agricultural Price policy • Agricultural Extension Framework (2001) • WTO/GATT agreement (1994) In addition to, various working groups, taskforces, mid-term appraisalsandplan schemes (~68) (for further details www.agricoop.nic.in)

10. Reports • Agriculture Credit, Cooperation and Crop • Horticulture Development including Spices Aromatic and Medicinal Plants and Plantation Crops Agriculture Infrastructure/Warehousing/Rural Godowns/Marketing/Post Harvest Management, Processing and Cold Storage, Trade and Export Promotion. • Crop Husbandry, Demand and Supply Projections and Agricultural Inputs Agriculture Research and Education • Animal Husbandry & Dairying • Agriculture Statistics • Watershed Development, Rainfed Farming and Natural Resources Management • |Agriculture Development in Eastern and North-Eastern India • Agriculture and Allied Sectors • Organic and Biodynamic Farming (for further details www.planningcommission.nic.in)

11. Technologies for Sustainable Agricultural Development • Biotechnology • Pre & post harvesting technology • Energy saving technology • Environment protection technology • Information and Communication technology • GIS & RS technology • Internet/Intranet Technology

12. Fusion of Technologiesfor Sustainable Development - A Synergy of Multiple Disciplines • Database Technology • Internet/Intranet Technology • GIS and Remote Sensing • Image Processing • GPS • Artificial Intelligence • Modeling

13. IT led Agricultural DevelopmentThe beginning: (e-readiness) • A two day conference (ISDA-1995 ) was held to assess IT Infrastructure and empowerment needs for IT led development in Agriculture Sector (one of the major recommendations was about 3% of the agriculture budget should be spent on Informatics Development) • IT Plan for Agriculture Sector (AGRISNET) was submitted to Ministry of Agriculture in 1997 to establish “Indian Agriculture on-line” and revised in 2000.

14. IT Applications for Agricultural Development Requires Inter-Sectoral Approach

15. IT plan for Agriculture • To strengthen IT in Agriculture and creation of Databases & Information Network for Agriculture Sector :- • The plan was divided into three schemes by DAC • Central Sector Schemes proposed • DAC Hqrs • Networking of DAC Field Units (DACNET) • State & District and Sub-District level (AGRISNET)

16. Present Status of IT Scheme (s) of DAC: Various Components emerging as one scheme: • IT apparatus in DAC Hqrs. • IT apparatus in the Field offices and Directorates of DAC (DACNET) Phase II • Development of Agricultural Informatics and Communication • Agricultural Resources Information System • IT apparatus for States/UTs (AGRISNET) and • Agricultural Marketing Information Network (AGMARKNET) Phase II

17. Information Systems Requirement in Agriculture GIS/RS based Systems: • Soil and Land use • Watershed developments • Disaster management • Cropping systems • Agriculture Resources Information • Organic farming (bio-fertilisers) • Crop weather watch

18. Decision Support Systems • Integrated Nutrient Management • Integrated Pest Management • Demand-Supply Projections • Soil-Water balance • Credit Management • Inter-cropping systems • Bio-fertilizer management • Early Warning System

19. E-Commerce Applications • Agri-Business (Agri-clinics and Agri-Business Centres) • Agricultural Marketing • Agricultural Trade • Cooperatives • Horticulture (horticulture, floriculture, sericulture, aquaculture etc,. ) • Organic farming • Agriculture Statistics

20. Ongoing ICT Projects of DAC • DACNET (dacnet.nic.in) • AGMARKNET (agmarknet.nic.in) • PPIN (cib/rc) (cibrc.nic.in) • VISTARNET • AGRICULTURAL CENSUS • NADAMS (National Agricultural Drought Advisory and Management Systems) • HORTNET

21. Projects Under Pipeline: • AGRISNET • AgRIS (Resources Information System) • Development of Agricultural Informatics • DACNET (phase – II) • AGMARKNET (Phase – II) • Agricultural Census 2000-2001