The Hindu : Opinion / News Analysis : `Need for farmer-oriented marketing'

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Wednesday, Aug 18, 2004

Opinion

Opinion - News Analysis

`Need for farmer-oriented marketing'

By G. Venkataramani

M.S. Swaminathan

CHENNAI, AUG. 17. The National Commission on Farmers (NFC), an advisory body, has identified key areas to be addressed and chalked out short and long-term measures for the welfare of farmers, especially women farmers. Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, who recently took over as NFC Chairman, touched upon the basic principles underlying the work of the Commission during an interview with The Hindu.

Question: What are the priority areas for action identified by the Commission, and how will these issues be tackled effectively?

Prof. Swaminathan: The Commission has identified some distress "hot spots," occasionally leading to suicides in parts of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala. There are also severe malnutrition hotspots in a few areas of Maharashtra and Orissa. The Commission will take up an in-depth study of the role of technology and public policy in mitigating such suffering. To address farmers' distress in some districts of Kerala due to meteorological and marketing factors, we will be holding discussions with the officials and individuals concerned in consultation with the Chief Minister of Kerala.

Farmer-centred approach

A farmer and human-centred approach will be the driving force for the Commission. We will carefully examine the technologies for dryland farming and neglected areas, judicious use of water and seeds. Seed villages managed by sustainable self-help groups will be given special attention. We will lay particular emphasis on credit linked to health and agricultural insurance, and will strongly suggest market reforms to bring into existence a dynamic and farmer-centric Indian Common Market. A producer-oriented marketing system is the need of the hour, and the Commission will strongly recommend creation of such an exploitation and corruption-free system.

Thus, technology, inputs, particularly water and seed, credit, insurance and marketing will be harnessed for enhancing the productivity and profitability of smallholdings in an ecologically sustainable manner. Our main focus will be on increasing the productivity and profitability, in a sustainable way, of farms in ecologically disadvantaged and economically underprivileged farming families living there.

What are the special programmes to address the field problems faced by women farmers?

The Common Minimum Programme of the United Progressive Alliance calls for special attention to rural women, including conferring on them the right to land. Since women farmers and farm labour constitute 50 per cent of the agricultural workforce, the Commission has chalked out programmes for "feminisation of agriculture." They will address issues such as technological and skill empowerment of rural women, providing sustainable livelihood security to this vulnerable segment of society.

What are the measures recommended for enhancing rural prosperity and reducing silent hunger and malnutrition in the rural farming families?

We have a well-defined approach to increase the quantity and stability of income of the small farmers and the landless labour. The role of various existing agencies such as the Small Farmers' Agri-business Consortium (SFAC), agri-clinics, agri-business centres, and food parks will be examined, and the post-harvest phases of farming will be strengthened.

The Commission will study different developmental processes to foster and sustain a horticultural revolution in the country. Livestock development and aquaculture will be integrated in poorer rural households, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. We will lay a special thrust on productivity improvement in oilseeds and pulses by strengthening the Technology Missions.

Skill-oriented jobs

Our focus is on making agricultural progress a powerful instrument for poverty and hunger elimination by imparting income and skill-oriented jobs in rural farms. The involvement of women and men panchayat members, particularly as managers of the monsoon and water and other natural resources, will be given utmost priority in our recommendations.

The Commission is essentially an advisory body created to safeguard the interests of the farming community and to recommend sustainable pathways of development. The task of implementing the recommendations rests with the State Governments in consultation with the Union Ministry of Agriculture.

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