FM urged to provide 1 lakhs crore provision in Budget to tackle the Agrarian Crisis
FM urged to provide 1 lakhs crore provision in Budget to tackle the Agrarian Crisis
Dated -31 Jan. 2025
In order to tackle the issue with long term perceptive ,Kishore Tiwari has given Integrated West Vidarbha Agricultural Welfare Programme which is like this
History- In West Vidarbha, the areas affected by farmer suicides include Yavatmal, Amravati, Akola, Washim, Buldhana of old Berar now Amaravati revenue division and Wardha district of Nagpur revenue division . This area in Vidarbha was famous since 1846 as cotton cultivation popularly known white gold cash crop of this dryland farming. However, since 1998, the suicides of cotton farmers started the state government took notice of this as an Agricultural Crisis, but the Government led by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee took this issue of farmer suicides in West Vidarbha seriously in July 2001 and UPA Govt came to power and the National Farmers Commission headed by Dr, MS Swaminathan visited Vidarbha, gave long term concrete solution plan and gave recommendations to address farm suicide issues but UPA Govt. instead of implementing Dr.Swaminathan recommendation opted for packages and loan waiver which failed to serve its purpose due to massive political corruption and economic crisis of cotton and soyabean producers continued and NDA headed by PM Modi took advantage of this farm suicides has promised to address core issues of cost, crop, credit in 2014 but farm suicide saga continued till date hence time has come to stop this genocide of agrarian community ,farm activist Kishore Tiwari has given Integrated West Vidarbha Agricultural Welfare Programme asking 1 lakh crore provision to the Finance Minister of India, Mrs. Nirmala Sitharaman.
Integrated West Vidarbha Agricultural Welfare Programme
Since 2001 farmers are killing themselves and all elected Govt failed to address the key issues of agrarian crisis which are
core issues of west Vidarbha agrarian crisis
1) To reduce the cost of cultivation
Soil- The rampant use of chemical fertilizer, pesticides and herbicide resulting the health of soil has been completely damaged and rejuvenation of soil health is upmost important and NBSS&LUP has declared all 70% west Vidarbha land is not suitable for cultivation and time has come to introduce sustainable perennial cultivation practices and only Govt. introduction direct incentive and subsidy will revive the dying soil of Vidarbha.
Water crisis- massive uncontrolled pumping of under ground and toxic water due chemical farming and industrial pollution wastage has needs water treatment plant for each farming unit to revive productivity up to the mark and this is core issue being ignored .
Soil and water are two fundamental resources for our sustenance with over 95 percent of our food originating from them. The symbiotic connection between soil and water is the foundation of our agricultural systems and critical to achieving the United Nations Agenda 2030. However, the current climatic changes coupled with human activities are adding excessive pressure on our soil and water.
For India, the criticality of good soil health and water availability is imminent as around 50 percent of the country’s net sown area is rainfed, contributing to 40 percent of the total food production. On World Soil Day 2023 (WSD), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with the theme ‘Soil and water, a source of life’ calls upon the need to raise awareness on the importance and relationship between soil and water in achieving sustainable and resilient agri-food systems. It advocates the essentiality of working with individuals to empower and engage to improve soil health.
Soil Health in India
Agriculture in India faces numerous challenges in managing soils. Most soils across the country are characterized by low nutrient levels, with the average soil organic carbon (SOC) being around 0.54 percent. India also confronts challenges stemming from land degradation and the deterioration of soil health. With about 30 percent of the total geographical area under the process of land degradation, the deficiency of several plant nutrients adversely affects the nutrition intake among the local population.
Nutrient depletions and deficiencies in soil, coupled with inappropriate fertilizer application, lead to declining productivity. Adequate replenishment of nutrients, appropriate fertilizer applications tailored to soil types and analyses, and increasing organic contents in soil are some of the practices essential for ensuring sustainable food production. It is also noteworthy that in India, an estimated 3 billion tons of soil are carried away by water and wind, annually[1].
Degraded soil and water resources affect food security
Food availability depends on soils. Nutritious and good quality food and animal fodder can only be produced if our soils are healthy. Soils supply nutrients and water to crops through their root systems, which in turn produce our food. They also create an environment for millions of micro-organisms and support soil biodiversity.
The interconnectedness of soil and water for food security is vital for ensuring food and nutrition security. Inappropriate soil and water management practices can lead to soil erosion, reduced soil biodiversity, diminished soil fertility, and compromised water quality and availability. Water scarcity, on the other hand, leads to the loss of soil biodiversity and cause eutrophication, resulting in the loss of biodiversity in water bodies.
Inappropriate use of pesticides and fertilizers not only threatens soil and water quality but also poses significant risks to human health and ecosystems. Additionally, an increase in soil salinization and sodification, resulting from poor management of irrigation and drainage, as well as rising sea levels, negatively impacts agricultural productivity.
Need for an integrated soil and water management approach
Sustainable soil management could produce more food. Land use planning and sustainable management of soils require innovative approaches and the involvement of multiple stakeholders. FAO supports the government of India’s efforts in soil and water management, as an essential step towards promoting climate-resilient agri-food systems in India. Currently, FAO is working alongside the National Rainfed Area Authority of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (MOA & FW) and is piloting predictive tools through data analytics in Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. These tools support at-risk farmers, especially in rainfed regions, by providing them with valuable insights for informed decision-making regarding crop selection.
FAO advocates the government of India’s five-pronged strategy for soil conservation which includes making soil chemical-free, saving soil biodiversity, enhancing soil organic matter, maintaining soil moisture, mitigating soil degradation, and preventing soil erosion. The government of India’s Soil Health Card scheme, launched in 2015, displays soil health indicators and associated descriptive terms, which guide farmers to make necessary soil amendments.
FAO has developed a tool RECSOIL, a mechanism for scaling up sustainable soil management with a focus on soil organic carbon. In India, FAO promotes crop diversification and conducts landscape planning across Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, and Punjab. In Andhra Pradesh, FAO collaborates with the state government and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to aid farmers in transitioning sustainably towards agro-ecological methods and organic farming.
FAO believes that integrated sustainable soil and water management practices, such as minimum tillage, crop rotation, organic matter addition, and cover cropping, are essential to improving soil health, reducing erosion, and enhancing water infiltration and storage. These practices help preserve soil biodiversity, improve fertility, and contribute to carbon sequestration. They play a crucial role in reducing climate change impacts and enhancing food and nutrient security.
Input Price Regulator -In last decade there is huge hike in rates of seed ,fertilizer, pesticide and quality and rate are uncontrolled moreover GST introduction has given license for looting the traders which are moneylender of past.
2) Giving fair and profitable price to Agricultural Produce MSP - all west Vidarbha 95% farmers are cotton and soyabean cash growers and present declared MSP of these cash crop is less than cultivation cost hence to stop innocent killing cotton and soyabean farmers urgent revision in MSP is must as per Dr.MS Swaminathan recommendations
3) Implementation of five-year credit provision policy and to regulate massive exploitation of RBI regulated NBFC
As present agrarian activity is loss making activity debt is natural product of faulty approach to ,moreover the frequent farm loan waiver has spoiled the cultural of repayment and sustainable rural life style hence in stead of debt waiver ,farmers needs five year credit plan as per 90% cost of his farm land ,crop loan should include all expenses of cultivation ,kids education, health care ,livelihood expenses too. due rampant crop failure and loss making agrarian activity 90% west vidarbha are taking crop loan through non banking finance companies popularly known as Micro finance companies @ around 24% interest though SHG network . every lady member of rural family is has taken personal loan from at least five to six micro finance companies and all NBFC should forced to charge interest rate at par with PSU banks in order to stop ongoing saga of farmers suicide
4) 100 percent subsidy for change in cropping system and reduction of area under cash crops
The present 90% area of crisis driven west Vidarbha is under cultivation cotton and soybean which are cash crops and there is productivity, rate, rampant uncontrolled input cost hike ,non mechanical cultivation process, lacking in global seed technology and output coupled with hostile import and export policy hence in order to address present agrarian crisis it's need of the hour to shift 50% area under oil seed ,pluses and millet cultivation with 100% input subsidy
5) Make Farmer as unit crop insurance system-Protection from wild animals
the present prime minister crop insurance scheme is not farmers friendly moreover it's profit making activity companies due to faulty compensation method and needs drastic modification ,asking to make it universal and farmers as unit for calculating damages for all sources including crop damages due to wild animals .
6) Village wise formation FPO
Village wise formation FPO and it's complete integration with crop credit input cost reduction and proper storage and district wise federation of FPO making responsible for all govt agencies related marketing .storage ,processing and climate change and environmental activities
7) Free health facility for all in rural areas
The present health care schemes have been failed to provide free health care services in west vidarbha and cancer, heart decease ,kidney failure ,diabetics and lifestyle deceases are spreading distress due stringent conditions and rules for entitlements hence it should made free in all private hospitals
8) Free profession Education facility to all in rural areas
The huge sky rocking educational expenses from nursery to degree is the major killing factor in west Vidarbha .The privatization of education uncontrolled fees stricture is the matter of concern .
9) Inclusion of agricultural work in employment guarantee scheme MGNRGS
the manual cultivation practices and hike in farm workers daily wages is matter of concern hence all agricultural field work should be included in nation employment guarantee scheme .
10) Provide free irrigation facility and electricity to all farmers in west vidarbha
due climate change and global changes in environment ,in these drought prone are the protective irrigation with power supply is must but due to massive corruption in irrigation projects and water shade envelopment ,this issue should be resolved in on war footing
11) Process industry and warehouse system for every village
in order to avoid distress sale farm produce village wise ware house and village base food processing unit should be made compulsory to have local value addition .cold storage block wise facility should be introduced.
12) To give government recognition to landless farmers, tenant farmers, women farmers, tribal farmers
now majority farmers are tenant ,landless ,dry land farmers, tribal farmer, women farmer hence there should be legal status to these farmers as majority of these farmers are among the farmers who committed suicide
13) make west vidarbha liquor and drug free
the easy availability of liquor and drug in every village is adding fuel in farmers suicide of distressed agrarian community .
14) Govt. staff employed in villages forced ti live @ head quarter
at present 60% post of Talathi, Gramsevak, agriculture assistant, lineman, irrigation clerk ,employment clerk ,health worker ,teachers in village school are vacant and those who are employed none of them are residing in village headquarter creating hostile atmosphere and leading farmers despair and suicides.
15) Immediate provision of food security under Antyodaya Yojana to every family in West Vidarbha
The present 90% area of crisis driven west Vidarbha is under cultivation cotton and soybean and not growing any food crops hence universal food security under Antyodaya scheme is must as at present farmers are not covered under
16) Immediate removal of all corrupt administrative officials West Vidarbha
as all notorious and corrupt babus are being posted in west Vidarbha and they doing massive corruption with help public representative and removal all corrupt and hostile babus should be removed to tackle the dying agrarian community issue
17) Fixing the responsibility of every suicide on the Collector
hostile and corrupt administration from top to bottom and irresponsible law makers and insensitive babus are the main culprit of this agrarian crisis and needs introduction good governance is need of the hour .
18) Formation of Rural Welfare Mission
in Vidarbha rural crisis has been resulted due to non exitance of accountable grievance redressal forum hence in order to solve the present rural crisis ,the formation of Vidarbha rural welfare mission which will see that the core issues listed above from 1 to 17 should be addressed ,it should be at par MHRC but no judicial and administrative retired staff should be their ,all grievances of farmers and farmworkers regarding all welfare schemes, land rights ,health education, potable water ,irrigation, credit cycle restoration and budget utilization , local body corruption ,power bill ,water bill management should be in included as power for intervention and redressal of such Rural Welfare Mission
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