Vol. 10, Special Issue 6 (2021)

Author(s):
Ashok Kumar B and Akkamaha Devi Naik

Abstract:
In India past many strategies for development of the agriculture has focused primarily on improving food security and raising output of agricultural. This strategy involves (a) an increase in productivity through improved technology and varieties and increases use of good quality seed, fertiliser, agro-chemicals and irrigation (b) incentive structure in the form of remunerative price for some crops and subsidies on farm input (c) public investments in and for agriculture and (d) facilitating institutions. The national policies with region specific recommendations are very much needed to achieve the income equality across the space and also across different social groups and class of farmers. Small and marginal farmers forms major part of the agricultural families in the country, hence there is a need to leverage the animal husbandry component in their farm business in order make their standard of living on par with rest of farming community. Post-harvest losses need to be reduced by creating the infrastructure accessible to all farmers and also by exploring the possibility of values addition in every crop. As the input cost forms major portion of cost of cultivation there is a need for reducing the external inputs without halting the production levels. In dry land areas water management interventions need to be given emphasis. Remunerative price through established markets for all major crops need to be assured across all the states. Measures should focus on increasing the real income of the farmers not the nominal income. Doubling the farmers’ income is quite challenging but it is needed and is attainable, three prolonged strategies focused on Development Initiatives, Technology and Policy Reforms in agriculture is need to double farmers income. ICAR and SAUs should develop different models of farming system for different type of socio-economic and resource poor farmers.