FARMERS should shift from agriculture to more lucrative occupations, said Nanasaheb Patil, Principal Secretary for Agriculture, Government of Maharashtra. Patil was speaking at the inauguration of a two-day national symposium on ‘Recent Trends in Organic Farming’ organised by the Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth’s (MPKV) College of Agriculture as part of its centenary year celebrations.
Lamenting the reduction in income generation from 30 to 12 per cent in recent years, Patil said there was a need for transfer of manpower from agriculture in the state. “It is not possible to expect small land holdings to generate income for such a huge load of manpower. So the youth force among the farming community, which constitutes 60 per cent, should be reoriented towards other professions,” urged Patil.
The question naturally arises about the possible impact of such an exodus on the nation’s food security. “Food security should not be an issue of concern for the farmer, but for the government. If farming is not economically feasible, then why can’t foodgrain be imported like it is done in other countries?” said Patil.
Patil also blamed the market infrastructure in India for preventing farmers from diversifying into higher income-generating sectors like horticulture, dairy, and fishing.
“A study by the World Bank has shown that the main obstacle to horticulture growth is the restrictive market infrastructure. Thus government constraints on farmers marketing their own products need to be done away with,” he said.
Similarly, farmers should also be given the prerogative while marketing organic products, Patil said. “Instead, this is given to supply businesses that do not have good intentions and exploit the farmers.”
The symposium was attended by vice-chancellors from agricultural universities across the country — including Karnataka, Manipur, Orissa and Maharashtra — and aimed at a consensus on issues related to the promotion of organic farming in India.
State Agriculture Commissioner Krishna Lavekar said that organic farming would help restore the quality of soil, which had deteriorated in recent times due to excessive use of chemical fertilizers.
“Apart from 6.5 lakh hectares that have been brought under organic farming in the state, some 2.5 lakh farmers have been trained in integrated crop management without depending on chemical fertilizers,” said Lavekar.
MPKV vice-chancellor R B Deshmukh said that organic farming had been the preferred method prior to the Green Revolution, and was seeing a resurgence now, as chemical fertilizers had social and economic repercussions by generating pest resistance and pesticide pollution.