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Revitalising Rainfed Agriculture National Network – An Overview Malkangiri, May, 2012 Research Industry Seeds Extension Premises of Agriculture Policy and investments in India : 1. 2. 3. Irrigation Fertilisers 4. Transport Input-response Intensive inputs Well-endowed areas (water/ soils / topography) High productivity & surplus generation Creating Demand Storage Credit Price Support Machinery Energy Labour Energy This has become de facto agriculture policy, even extended to rainfed areas Singular agricultural policy ‘naturally’ discriminated the rainfed areas…… Research Industry Seeds Fertilisers Transport Extension • Undulating • Marginal lands • Low soil Irrigation depth • High climate variability • interior • Low inputs Machinery •….. Creating Demand Storage Price Support Labour What Public Policy Support is Available? The Story of Rainfed Areas!! Rainfed Areas : where 84% of rural poor live!! Rural Poverty Geography of the Country Irrigated Lands 5 Poverty Clusters POVERTY DISTRESS DEGRADATION Parity in Public Investments! 90000 Annual Subsidy on fertilisers 80000 70000 Cumulative investments on watershed development in 40 years 60000 50000 40000 30000 20000 10000 0 Mid-term review of XI plan, Planning Commission Inherent disparities in public investments: What can a rainfed farmer do if such a support is available on an annual basis> Fertiliser Subsidy : Rs/ ha (year 2007) 4500 4000 Fertiliser consumption kg/ ha 160 140 3500 120 3000 100 2500 80 2000 60 1500 40 1000 20 500 0 irrigated unirrigated 0 Punjab AP haryana TN Karnataka MP Orissa Rajasthan Parity in investments: Investments 300000 Rs. Per ha What can a rainfed farmer do if such investments are available for moisture management? 250000 200000 150000 100000 50000 0 Irrigation Watershed RRA network is attempting to evolve a framework and advocates for… • Differentiated policies for rainfed agriculture (including livestock and fisheries) • Parity and substantial scaling up of public investments for revitalising rainfed areas • Appropriate framework for public investments – rooted in a paradigm relevant for rainfed areas. Drivers of Agriculture Growth so far… • Expansion of irrigation- mainly groundwater led, of late.. • Replacement of seeds – varieties, hybrids and GM • Intensification of fertilizer use through subsidies • Promotion of pesticides, herbicides • Mechanization (to some extent) • ..rest are cursory.. National food security, Productivity enhancement, focus on wellendowed surplus generating regions .. Are the key processes. Multiple Crises … • • • • • Technology fatigue Failing fertiliser use efficiency Stagnant Total Factor Productivity Low growth with high input subsidies Subsidies surpassing investments ECOLOGICAL • • • • • Acute Farmers’ distress Poverty & hunger.. Droughts Left Wing Extremism High inflation in food .. • • • • ECONOMIC Soil degradation Expanding ‘dark’ groundwater areas Increasing costs Increasing Climate Change risks SOCIAL More of the SAME drivers…. • Do we continue with the same Drivers while planning for the Rainfed Areas? • Are the Agro-Geographies and the AgroEcologies the same? • What are the appropriate Drivers / Engines of Inclusive Growth for rainfed areas? • Growth – without distress, inclusive of people and sustainable? More of the SAME distress….?? Agro-Ecologies are location specific • Varying rainfall regimes (humid, sub-humid, semi-arid and arid regions) • High rainfall risks • Location specific topography, mostly undulating • Low soil depth in large areas • Diverse land use • …etc. What to be achieved? • National food security » OR LOCAL/ HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY ? • Productivity Growth » OR INCOME GROWTH? • Single Crop / single Animal productivity » OR SYSTEM / AREA PRODUCTIVITY? • Intensive growth in well-endowed areas » Or EXTENSIVE GROWTH IN ALL AREAS? • Intensive irrigation for few » OR EXTENSIVE SUPPORT IRRIGATION FOR ALL? These are questions on the paradigm Drivers / Growth Engines of a Relevant Paradigm for Rainfed Areas 1. Soil productivity through organic matter addition 2. Supplementary/ critical irrigation – protecting kharif crops at scale 3. Millets and local food security 4. Agronomic & Management Revolution: – System of Rice Intensification – Crop systems, NPM and other SA. 5. Diverse crop systems 6. Extensive livestock –support systems and focus on meat animals and bullocks 7. Fisheries in rainfed water bodies 8. Invest on commons 9. Farmers’ institutions Relevant Paradigm for rainfed areas • • • • Soils and Rainfall Use Efficiency Protective irrigation Strengthening extensive livestock systems and Commons Diverse and location specific crop systems (related seed systems) • Promote agronomic innovations • Reduce costs and external input use • Household and local Food Security TOTAL DECENTRALISATION, LOCATION SPECIFIC DRIVERS, INVEST ON INSTITUTIONAL INNOVATIVE CAPACITIES AND FACILITATION, INTEGRATE PROGRAMS INTO A RELEVANT PARADIGM AT THE BLOCK LEVEL, ITERATIVE PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION & LEARNING RRA Network – as emerging [email protected] 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Networking Collaboration Partnership Anchorage Identification RRA- NODES • • • • • • Soils : Chetna Organic Seeds: CIKS Water: ACWADAM Fisheries: WASSAN Millets: WASSAN SRI : National Consortium on SRI (PRADAN) • Budgetory Analysis: CBGA • Research : Re-Searching Rainfed Agrl, Group (IGIDR, IIM-Ah, Nistads, SPS) & ERU, JNU • Communication: Barapani • Secretariat : WASSAN RRA Network – as emerging Network [email protected] www.rainfedindia.org Collaboration Partnership CORE