500 likes | 672 Views
Where India has come from to become a major food exporter: Lessons for East Africa. Ram C. Chaudhary Chairman, Participatory Rural Development Foundation, India Ram.Chaudhary@gmail.com. India after Independence in 1947 - 1965. 1943 Bengal Famine: 3 million died of starvation
E N D
Where India has come from to become a major food exporter: Lessons for East Africa Ram C. Chaudhary Chairman, Participatory Rural Development Foundation, India Ram.Chaudhary@gmail.com
India after Independence in 1947 - 1965 • 1943 Bengal Famine: 3 million died of starvation • Basket case country of hungry and food importers: western press. • Dependent on PL480 & Food Imports. • Still food crisis continued. • Hunger death & mal-nourishment rampant
15 years later (late1970s) • Drought of 1965-66 forced India to change its agricultural policy. • Food self-sufficiency targeted. • Wheat yield increased from 0.8 tons / ha of 1960s to 4.7 tons /ha in 1970. • Era of Green Revolution; food production soared.
International Grains Council • In 2012 India largest rice exporter (8.7 m tons). • Still warehouses are over-flowing and storage problem with new crop harvested. • While still selling 25 kg rice /month for 1 US$ to 10 million BPL (Below Poverty Line) families. • With 4.2% water and 2.4% land it feeds 17% of world population !!!
Current superlatives for India • Largest democracy with 1.21 billion people • 4th largest economy of the world. • Largest area under wheat, rice, cotton, pulses (beans) and spices. • Largest producer of fruits, milk, pulses (beans) and spices. • Second largest producer of wheat, rice and a number of other foods
Current superlatives continued… • Improved road, power, technology and reforms yield up by 500% over 40 years. • Agriculture did not develop in Isolation ! • Between 4 richest billionaire of the world and 300 m poors, 900 m vibrant middle class as stabilizer & power-house of India.
Productivity (kg/ha) growth in India over last 40 years (1970 to 2010)
Major thrusts of 12th Plan in Agriculture • New technologies: Demand-driven & innovation-led R & D funded by 1% increased to 2% of GDP. 2. Technology dissemination: ATMA at district level, and now RKVY for convergence. 3. Rainfed agriculture: RFD Authority to coordinate. 4. Seed System: National Mission on Seed to coordinate public and private sectors; assure policy intervention. 5. IPM / NPM / Organic Agriculture: Promotion as environment friendly, safe to health and sustainable. 6. Land & tenancy reforms: In most states farmers owned and heritable, in remaining one under process.
Major thrusts of 12th Plan….. 7. Livestock & Fishery promotion:- Already has White Revolution in milk yet striving for major increases. Poultry and Fishery sectors will receive technological innovations. 8. Market linkage:- For small and medium farmers reforms put in place to reduce farm and market-gate prices. 9. Crop Insurance:- Agriculture is risky and to avoid farmers losses due to crop failure, crop insurance introduced. 10. These steps will pave for 2nd Green Revolution.
Major policy incentives by Govt. • Minimum Support Price (MSP):- MSP is announced well ahead of planting season. Govt. obliged to buy the produce if prices fall below MSP. • Subsidy on Inputs:- N, P & K fertilizers heavily subsidized. Seed is VAT free sold subsidised. • Private Sector incentive: Zero VAT attracts investment in Seed Sector. Farmers get cheaper seed .
Policy incentive contd. • Reduced Dependence on Agriculture:- Share of agriculture in GDP reduced from 51 % in 1951 to 14.2 % in year 2011. • Convergence:-Many agencies & schemes. Non coordination and duplication. Converged under RKVY. • Inclusiveness:-Small, medium, large farmers cared in the policies. All benefit to the same tune.
Policy support to farm sector • MNREGA to guarantee 100-day jobs for unemployed agricultural labourers • Warehouse Receipt system since 2006. • Repeal Cess Act in 2006 to remove 0.6% tax on agricultural produce in marketing • Kisan Credit Card:- for farmers to access credit.
Human Resource Develeopment • 53 State Agricultural Universities ( with 2,000 or more students / univeristy) • 5 Central / Deemed Agricultural Universities • 4 Universities with Agriculture Faculty • 700 Regular agricultural scientists • 1,100 Extension workers
R & D institutions in agriculture • 97 Crop or discipline oriented Central • Research Institutes of ICAR. • 61 agricultural research institutions. • 61 All India Coordinated Research Projects with 50 – 250 testing centres. • 591 KVK (Agri Science Centres) for Demo. • 100s of R & D centres of private sector & 225 larger NGOs
Outputs do follow plans • Annual pass-outs of students: - Ph D: 2,000 - M. Sc: 8,000 - UG : 25,000 Crop varieties released over last 40 years: - Rice: 271 - Wheat: 130 - Maize: 80
ICAR tracks food demand (m tons) to prepare research strategy and growth (%) required
Cereal yield (t/ha) in Asia &Sub-Saharan Africa (1961 – 2001)
Cereal production kg/person Asia &Sub-Saharan Africa 1961-2001
CAN AFRICA BE THE FUTURE RICE BOWL FOR ASIA ?Ram C. Chaudhary and Dat Van Tran, 2000International Rice Development Conference, Philippines • In major Asian countries rice area hit ceiling, now declining. • Chinese, Indians, Bangladeshi, Viets, Middle Eastern, Europeans make a “Rice-Rush” in Africa. Use them and not abuse them as “land-grabbers”. • Get a firm National Plan for Rice Production in place and invite donors and investors alike. • Show your strong political will, supportive advocacy and consistency in policy.
Current & Potential area for rice in E. African countries (FAOSTAT 2012; That, 1982*
Area, Production and Import of Rice in East Africa(FAOSTAT 2012, Unbroken rice data of 2010, import 2009)
Rice in Uganda • Rice introduced in 1904 by Indian traders. Cultivated in Upland and swamp in 140,000 ha and produce 218,111 tons. • Consumption 250,000 tons annually but growing @10%. • Favourable rain (1250 – 1370 mm) and temperature (15 – 30C) round the year make continuous rice cultivation possible. • Import 79,964 tons for US$33.2 million. Population 31.8 million growing @ 3.5%. • Under NRDS plan to produce 465,000 tons by 2018. • Potential to become “Seed Basket of East Africa”
Shaping the future in East African Agriculture • Analyze the ground realities. • Count on your strength(resources, UN and CGIAR institutions, COMESA, ACTESA, others ) • Plan & Policy (well defined, inter-regional trade) • Implement with transparent honesty • Provide LEADERSHIP
Leadership: Dr Abdul Kalam, ex President India,July 2012 • Leader must have a vision. • Leader must have passion to realize the vision. • Leader must be able to travel into an unexplored path. • Leader must know to manage success & failure. • Leader must have courage to take decisions. • Leader should be transparent in every action. • Leader must work with & succeed with integrity.
See you !!! Thanks