AGRICULTURAL GROWTH IN INDIA AN ASSESSMENT
BY PROF GHULAM MOHYUDDIN WANI
Agricultural growth has been showing a decline. Per hectare productivity gains have been registering an marginal increase with increased use of fertilizers .The soil fertility has decreased. A total agricultural productivity fatigue
has been estimated in the past few decades. The soil salinity, low water tables and environmental degradation is acute problems facing agriculture in general & agricultural research has become as point of criticism in India. we may like to review the situation in these pages, in a questions as follows.
HAS THE FUNDING FOR AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH BEEN ADEQUATE.
A review of NCAP bulletin 21 ,shows that the government funding to agricultural research has been on a rise from 1961 to 1980. Thereafter a stagnation of funds has been registered. Research investment cheks and balances show an increase of 2.5 billion rupees to 7.5 billion between years 1961 – 1980. In 2000 it rose to all time high of 25 billion i.e. an increase of around 10 times the previous years. The slowing down of Govt. funding for agriculture around 1999’s from 7% in 1980 to 4.6% in 1990 has perhaps shown a negative impact on agricultural research in general & productivity in particular.
The system of ARS starting in late 1976 had a better effect on quality. The assessment and service grade & scale had linked the whole system as a progressive one. A change around 1980 -1990, now many “good scientists leaving ICAR and the system complicacies further deteriorated the filling of new positions. A total black out and slow down was registered in these years. Competitive & capability was replaced with sub ordination and favoritism” this with slowing of Govt. funds from 7% in 1980 to 4.6% in 1990 saw a decline in the research .End product delivery of science to farms in remote rural habitation was at minimal edge as most of the ICAR funds were spent on research or education.The huge amount of money spent on extension delivery mechanisms rets with other agencies than those perfoming experiments.Is it this lag phase which effected the system of technology dissemination or a lack of sytem of delivery mechanism needs to br studies.An attempt to revive extension education in india has already been poste.WANI,2007,2006,20008,2009 IN THESE WEBPAGES.DOES IT SIGNIFY OR ASK FOR A PARRALLEL MECHANISM FOR TECHNOLOGY TRASFER wger research and preliminary research need to be synchronized in such a system that the trials on farmers field by researchers itself may decrease the tranmisssion losses or a new webportal is needed to deseminate the acquired results to the relavent farming situations.The crop insurance and other surities could help in damage crisis in case the trail fails and farmer does not get a loss.
Yes the source of funding to ICAR was the main cause of decline in these years. The intensity ratio meaning expenditure on agricultural research as part of gross domestic products contributed by agriculture. The ratio increased to 0.4% in 1980, showed decline in 1986. Globally all countries spend more on agriculture than us in India. An intensity of 0.6 – 1% is the global record .We could not do better than P.R OF CHINA which spended 0.43% as against us 0.29% in the past few years..
This decline was supported by the decline of publications from 1980 when it was 1454 publication (ICAR + SAU) i.e. per scientist article base was 0.14. It reduced to 497 & 530 publication in 1990 & 2002 declining the score to 0.04 or 0.05.The record in CAB publication increased form 3014 to 6664 in these years thus putting score on hike from 0.29 to 0.51 in the period 1980-1998 the ISA publication score rose too from 0.43 to 0.53. The decline shows a depletion or depression. Is it because talented agri-animal graduate lost their interest in ARS or SAU system & moved to secure systems of IAS or even provisional services.
to be continued