NATIONAL RABI CONFERENCE 2008

1. NATIONAL RABI CONFERENCE2008 Group III (UP, TN, Orissa, Manipur, Tripura, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram)

2. Rabi Targets • All 8 States are in readiness for Rabi 2008 • Additional area targeted: 22.57 lakh hectares • Cereals - 10.41 lakh hectares • Pulses - 10.81 lakh hectares • Oilseeds - 1.35 lakh hectares • Additional production targeted: 92.53 lakh MT • Cereals - 67.32 lakh MT • Pulses - 22.15 lakh MT • Oilseeds - 3.06 lakh MT

3. RKVY - Status • UP, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura are eligible. Manipur and Mizoram are ineligible. UP, Orissa and Nagaland are yet to hold SLSC. • All States to speed up DAP preparations. • Other States to enhance agriculture budgets to become eligible • Implementation to be speeded up.

4. NFSM - Status • There is anecdotal evidence to show positive impact of NFSM. • Seed availability, demonstrations have had a very positive impact on productivity. • Under NFSM-Pulses, additional area to be brought through utilization of rice fallows and intercropping of pulses with other crops. • In some States availability of seeds is a constraint in pulses. • Subsidy on hybrid paddy seeds through NFSM to be considered.

5. FERTILISER • Availability of DAP and complexes is a major concern. Issues: • Problem of spurious fertilizer in North East States • Timely availability of fertilizers • Transport subsidy on fertilizers for NE States • UP’s fertilizer requirement should be increased due to increase in area. • In UP, private network of fertilizer sales points to be encouraged, particularly in Eastern part of UP. • Liquid and water soluble fertilisers to be considered for promotion at concessional rate.

6. OTHER ISSUES • Awareness of farmers on crop loans and insurance schemes to be increased. • Rodent control measures required for NE States. • Management of soil acidity through application of lime in NE States. • MSP should adequately reflect increasing cost of labour and inputs. • Distribution of Paddy Harvester and Transplanter to Farmers / Women Groups may be permitted under NFSM – Rice as local initiatives. • Establishment of adequate numbers of market yards.

7. Best Practices • Uttar Pradesh • Promotion of LASER Land Leveler for precision leveling. • Apni Mitti Pehchane Programme expanded by 100%. • Tamil Nadu • Restructuring of extension system. • System of Rice Intensification (SRI). • Precision farming.

8. Best Practices • Orissa - Management of Acid soil by application of Lime/Paper Mill Sludge. • North Eastern States • Tripura – 80,000 MT of bio-fertilizer production targeted in 2008-09. • Manipur – Establishment of Model Village on IPM. • Mizoram – Oil palm cultivation in place of jhum cultivation. • Nagaland – Integrated farming, mixed cropping, land shaping in place of jhum cultivation.

9. Thank you

10. UP State: Rabi Target Contd…

11. Proposed increase in Wheat Production - 14.04% Proposed increase in Food Grain Production - 19.52% UP State:Additionality in Rabi 08-09

12. Fertilizer distribution to be increased by 9.82% with emphasis on P and K. Increasing fertilizer use efficiency by using seed cum ferti drill. UP State: Fertilizer Situation ( in Lakh M.T.)

13. UP State - Seed • Raising Seed Replacement Rate from 26.00% to 28.19% . • 2.31 lakh qtl additional seeds being distributed. • Sufficient seed availability ensured.

14. TAMILNADU : KHARIF & RABI AREA ( Lac. Ha.)

15. TAMILNADU : KHARIF & RABI PRODUCTION ( Lac. MT)

16. TAMILNADU : SEEDS – DISTRIBUTION & AVAILABILITY (MT)

17. TN State: FERTILIZER REQ. RABI 2008 - 09

18. Orissa State: Rabi Plan A : Area in lac ha. P : Prod in lac MTY : Yield in Qtl./ha.

19. ORISSA SEED AVAILABILITY FOR RABI-2008-09. (Figures in quintals)

20. ORISSA: FERTILISER REQUIREMENTRABI – 2008-09 (Figures in MT)

21. FIVE NORTH EAST STATES • Best Practices • Establishment of Model Village on IPM Through NGO • Model Village on Rice • Model Village on Potato • Model Village on Pea • System of Rice Intensification(SRI) • Integrated farming (Paddy, Fish, Livestock, Dry land Horticulture) • In order to decrease the area under jhum cultivation, major thrust is given on Oil Palm cultivation under ISOPOM where the net revenue returns per hectares tends to be higher • Issues • Soil Health – Acidity problem • Use of Rice Fallow land • Rodent problem • Availability of fertilizer • Cold storage facilities • Spurious fertilizer • Transport subsidy for seeds and fertilizer

22. Uttar Pradesh Best Practices Rainwater Harvesting and Watershed Management through Central, State and NABARD funds Ground Water recharging through different watershed management programmes. Promotion of LASER Land Leveler for precision leveling. SRI method & use of Cono-weeder Mega Kisan Mela in each Agro- Climatic Zone • Issues • Subsidy on drip & sprinkler irrigation system for all crops & all farmers • Timely supply of DAP requested as per supply plan. • Subsidy on notified hybrid seed also to be allowed. • Issuance of letter of intent (LOI) for community radio stations in district Jalaun, Aligarh, Basti and Hydergarh (Barabanki) under ATMA.(Saharanpur already issued) • In view of rising labor & input cost, the Minimum Support Price should commensurate the actual cost of cultivation.

23. TAMIL NADU Best Practices Extensive restructuring of the Extension system by bringing two tier system. Agricultural Extension Centres provides integrated advice to farmers. Extension Reform through ATMA – extended to all districts Implementation of e-Agriculture up to Block level System of Rice Intensification (SRI) Precision farming Contd……. v. TAMIL NADU FARMERS DEVELOPMENT AND WELFARE SCHEME- an insurance scheme to sell minimum one metric tonne of paddy (or) equivalent value of their agricultural produces through Regulated Markets vi. Automatic Weather Station-- 224 blocks being provided with AWS to provide Medium range forecast (4 days) at block level for farming decisions and Denser observation of precipitation for crop insurance purpose

24. TAMIL NADU ISSUES Distribution subsidy for hybrid rice seeds may be permitted to actual 50% cost of the seed The States may be given flexibility to divert the funds from one component to another, however within the approved outlay of Government of India Distribution of Paddy Harvester and Transplanter to Farmers / Women Groups may be permitted under NFSM – Rice as local initiatives. Contd…… iv. Liquid and Water soluble fertilisers to be promoted at concessional rate v. Custom Duty now levied on water soluble fertilizers may be reduced on par with chemical fertilizers vi. MRP may be fixed for different liquid / water soluble fertilizers vii. Demonstration @0.4 Ha for every 100 Ha permitted. Cluster demonstration may be permitted with 10 Ha cluster to have real impact

25. ORISSA Best Practices Management of Acid soil by application of Lime/Paper Mill Sludge. Demonstration of System of Rice Intesification Intercropping – Mustard/ Mung/ Biri with Sugarcane Issues For NFSM (Pulses) districts, there is inadequate availability of seeds, NSC/SFCI may be told to bridge the gap. Preparation of comprehensive District Agriculture Plan (C-DAP) for RKVY is in advanced stage. Release of funds ` under RKVY for 2008-09 may be considered pending approval of the DAPs. Release of ISOPAM funds should be made (committed) as per Approved Action Plan for 2008-09. Funds under ‘storage bins’ head of Seed village Programme may be diverted to seed subsidy under the same scheme for further multiplication of quality seeds. Provision of adequate funds under WORK PLAN and ISOPOM. Establishment of adequate numbers of market yards. Establishment of dehumidified chambers for storing groundnut seeds. Opening of new rake points.

26. GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS RKVY Additional area to be brought through the utilization of rice fallows and intercropping of pulses with other crops should be clearly in the identified districts under NFSM pulses. States should take measures for augmenting seed production with oilseeds, pulses and maize in order to double the production of certified seeds within a period of three years. Quality control of seeds should be rigorously enforced to ensure that farmers do not suffer on account of sub-standard seeds. States should take measures in this regard including upgrading of quality control laboratories and strengthening of seed certification system. State seeds production system may be revamped. Plan of action needs to be developed so that important varieties of seeds actually become available to farmers. This may also require discussions with National Seed Corporation /State Seed Corporations / State Govt/ Contd…..

27. General Recommendations –contd….. ICAR may also provide necessary support for acceptance of non-popular varieties by farmers. Seed treatment and early sowing needs to be emphasized for the ensuring Rabi season. Demonstrations of all newly released appropriate varieties should be taken up in at least one plot at each KVK. Corporations may also undertaken demonstrations of new varieties,. In the medium term, new seed varieties are required to be demonstrated in farmers’ fields. Farmers may be given training in use of hybrid seeds. It was noted that removal of micro nutrient deficiency would also require favourable policy environment. The required policy changes may be pursued. Awareness may be created on major deficiency of micro nutrients namely zinc, sulphur and baron. Farmers may also be made aware on the method for removing such deficiency. States have been impressed upon and advised to ensure judicious and balanced use of fertilisers and micro nutrients to bring the NPK ratio to the desired level to achieve maximum production and productivity.

28. General Recommendations –contd….. Promote integrated nutrient management, vermin-composting and pursue policy issues concerning removal of mircro-nutrient deficiencies and for quality control of chemical fertilisers. Important areas requiring immediate attention of the State Govt.s. are seed treatment, quarantine of imported potato seeds, making good quality potato seeds available within the country, demonstration on cultivation with treated and untreated seeds at KVKs and assessment of quarantine needs concerning. movement of agriculture good within the country Field testing of agricultural implements and machinery , i.e. tractors, power tillers and combined harvesters by the institutions other than FMT&Tis like Engineering Departments of SAUs, needs to be explored for field performance evaluation under varying soil conditions/region specific crops for assessing their field worthiness. It is expected that the NHM project based activities, particularly for developing infrastructure for post harvest management and

29. General Recommendations –contd….. marketing will be expedited by the NHM States. Popularization of use of lining material like LDPE/HDPE plastic sheet for reducing seepage and improving storage in water harvesting structures under different watershed programmes. Further refinement of package for reclamation and development of acidic soils to make it more sustainable in large scale. The States may develop action plan for major expansion and revamping of the agricultural extension system. It may be implementedpooling of resources under ATMA programme, ACA scheme and other schemes. More projects may be expected from the State Agricultural Marketing Boards/APMCs and other State agencies to modernize the existing marketing infrastructure under the Development/ Strengthening of Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure, Grading and Standardization scheme.