Need is the mother of invention, the quote is necessarily true in every aspect of human life. But it seems that India has forgotten the quote. The ever increasing pressure of growing population, shrinking land, depleting natural resources and decreasing productivity has called for continuous research in agriculture. But according to the data available trends seem to be reversing. While the global food crisis is expanding, the research expenditures are not up to it. According to the government of India’s Economic Survey, the rate of growth in India’s food production is 1.2% a year, significantly less than the population growth rate of 1.9%. The creation of additional irrigation potential in Indian agriculture was 3% a year in the 1990s. It has declined to 1.8% in 2007.
If we consider the productivity of wheat in India, it was 2.71 tonnes per hectare in 2002. It fell a few notches to 2.63 tonnes per hectare in 2007. India’s productivity in rice was 3.14 tonnes per hectare in 2002. This has moved up marginally to 3.18 tonnes per hectare in 2007. The productivity of wheat in America has inched down from 2.7 tonnes per hectare in 2002 to 2.6 tonnes per hectare in 2007. Even Brazil’s sugarcane productivity has merely climbed up from 70 to 71.10 tonnes per hectare in the same five year span. India’s average rice yield today is 2.9 tonnes per hectare. By comparison, China’s average rice yield, at 6.3 tonnes per hectare, is more than double that of India. South Korea has achieved an even higher rice yield, i.e., 6.8 tonnes per hectare.
The reason, as noted agriculture scientist M.S. Swaminathan says, is that “the lab-to-land (technology) transfer has gradually eroded”.
A 2007 report on the impact of science and technology on Indian agriculture by the Chennai-based M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation said, “There has been no breakthrough in technology in the 1990s even to sustain the growth levels of the earlier decade.” Currently, public expenditure on research and extension together stands at well below one per cent of GDP in agriculture.
Agricultural research has contributed significantly to improvement in productivity and, with the marginal internal rate of return on research and investment, is still very rewarding. According to an Asian Development Bank report written by C. Ramasamy and K.N. Selvaraj of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, in Coimbatore. “A 10% increase in public sector expenditure on agricultural R&D (research and development) would induce agricultural growth by 2.4% at constant prices, and overall welfare by 3.8%”.
Still, there is severe under-investment in agricultural R&D, which has fallen from 20% of all research funded by New Delhi in 1960-80 to under 12% in early 2000s, The government, on its part, hasn’t quite walked the talk of agriculture renaissance: agriculture and allied activities’ share in the 11th Plan outlay at 3.7% is down from 4.9% in the ninth and 3.9% in the 10th Plan. Experts say it’s impossible to achieve the 4% growth rate target of the 11th Plan. The rate of growth in agricultural productivity is alarming, just about 2%, which is marginally above the population growth. With almost two years of the current Plan over, achieving 4% growth is impossible. According to Swaminathan, the production target of even the 10th Plan has not been achieved.
The changing challenge for Indian agricultural research
• Productivity growth must now extend to greater variety of crops, farming sectors (horticulture, livestock, fisheries, forestry) and ecologies/regions. It is particularly important to focus on areas which were bypassed during the green revolution period and where the livelihoods of the vast majority of poor, particularly women are directly or indirectly linked to farming.
• Agricultural practices and technologies that we generate and promote do not adversely impact our natural resources base. Our past strategies aimed at gains in the short run have led to serious and widespread problem of resources degradation in both irrigated and rainfed ecologies, with grave consequences for sustained productivity and overall ecology. Declining soil quality, deteriorating water resources, loss in bio-diversity have all become a serious limitation in achieving enhanced productivity.
• In view of increasing trade liberalization and emerging WTO regimes, it is important that agricultural production systems become more efficient and competitive.
• A serious consideration is given to understand and think of ways to respond to issues of climate change, which are already impacting agriculture in a variety of ways.
It is apparent that the demands on agricultural research are becoming more complex. While the need and concerns of enhancing productivity to meet the needs of the increasing population continue, there are additional concerns which relate to poverty alleviation, equity and sustainability issues. There is increasing pressure for agricultural research not only to result in increased yields, but also to ensure that the benefits of research accrue to the largest recipient groups and that the quality of natural resources base is maintained and improved.
By
Parag Rastogi
PGPABM I
2008-10
