The basic crisis is that India experiences hunger amidst 8.5% growth, as one in every five Indian suffers from hunger. In terms of numbers it is staggering – 350 million Indians are chronically food insecure. This situation is severe in vulnerable communities. For example, 99% of tribal households in Rajasthan and Jharkhand face chronic hunger. One survey among 500 Adivasi households in Rajasthan, said that none had access to two square meals through the year. Children are the most vulnerable of all. 50% children are malnourished or undernourished, according to the National Family Health Survey. In Maharashtra, 2,814 children died of malnutrition during Jan-July 2005.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
The Extent of Small Farming
Small and marginal farmers, whose land holdings are below 2 hectares, constitute almost 80% of all Indian farmers, and more than 90% of them are dependent on rain for their crops. In terms of operational holdings, which includes land owned, the land taken on lease, the land taken on mortgage and any other land cultivated by fair or unfair means, 1.6% of farmers are in the large farmer category, with average holding of 45 acres control 17% of the total land.
In the so called granary of India –Punjab, the figure is 6% of the operational holdings are in the large farmers’ category operating 27% of the total agricultural land, and the average size of such holdings is about 40 acres.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Most households include all generations of a family from great-grandparents to a new- born baby.
When a daughter gets married she will move into the household of her husband, and when a son is
married his wife will move into his household with his parents and grandparents. Most couples tend to
have an average of three children. Indians diets are based around a staple grain, such as rice or wheat,
served with vegetables and yogurt. Ninety-three percent of daily intake of food in India consists of
vegetable products and only 7 percent consists of animal products. Vegetables eaten are those that are
currently in season. The most commonly eaten meat is fish, while lamb, goat, beef, chicken, shark,
lobster, and shrimp are also occasionally eaten too. Animal products are not a staple part of the Indian
diet because they require refrigeration, and over 80 percent of Indians are Hindu, and the Hindu culture
does not allow them to consume beef. Food is usually bought the same day it is eaten. Although most
Indian’s are vegetarians, animals are very important to farmers. They not only provide milk, they also
serve as their work force for plowing land and hauling crops.
When a daughter gets married she will move into the household of her husband, and when a son is
married his wife will move into his household with his parents and grandparents. Most couples tend to
have an average of three children. Indians diets are based around a staple grain, such as rice or wheat,
served with vegetables and yogurt. Ninety-three percent of daily intake of food in India consists of
vegetable products and only 7 percent consists of animal products. Vegetables eaten are those that are
currently in season. The most commonly eaten meat is fish, while lamb, goat, beef, chicken, shark,
lobster, and shrimp are also occasionally eaten too. Animal products are not a staple part of the Indian
diet because they require refrigeration, and over 80 percent of Indians are Hindu, and the Hindu culture
does not allow them to consume beef. Food is usually bought the same day it is eaten. Although most
Indian’s are vegetarians, animals are very important to farmers. They not only provide milk, they also
serve as their work force for plowing land and hauling crops.
Almost 1.1 billion people live in India, a population that is growing rapidly. India’s population has
tripled in size since the beginning of the twentieth century. It occupies 2.4 percent of the world’s land,
and contributes to 15 percent of the world’s population. Almost half of Indias land is covered with farms.
Part of the reason India’s population is growing so rapidly is because family is very important to the
Indian people. Indian tradition is to have many children because the parents will most likely rely on the
children to support them when they are older, though often some children will die from disease,
malnutrition, or accidents before they reach adulthood. Almost 40 percent of Indians are younger than 15
years of age. Also population growth is increasing because the mortality rate is decreasing due to better
healthcare. The better healthcare may include better access to facilities, and more doctors. Only fifteen
percent of people suffer from no health care, but with India’s population being so large, fifteen percent is
over 150 million. There are still only 48 doctors for every 100,000 people. Though not everyone has
health care, it has drastically improved, causing the fatality rate to decrease.
tripled in size since the beginning of the twentieth century. It occupies 2.4 percent of the world’s land,
and contributes to 15 percent of the world’s population. Almost half of Indias land is covered with farms.
Part of the reason India’s population is growing so rapidly is because family is very important to the
Indian people. Indian tradition is to have many children because the parents will most likely rely on the
children to support them when they are older, though often some children will die from disease,
malnutrition, or accidents before they reach adulthood. Almost 40 percent of Indians are younger than 15
years of age. Also population growth is increasing because the mortality rate is decreasing due to better
healthcare. The better healthcare may include better access to facilities, and more doctors. Only fifteen
percent of people suffer from no health care, but with India’s population being so large, fifteen percent is
over 150 million. There are still only 48 doctors for every 100,000 people. Though not everyone has
health care, it has drastically improved, causing the fatality rate to decrease.
India is a country of its people, being the world’s largest democracy. Indians have had freedom of
speech, religion, and the press ever since their constitution was adopted on January 26, 1950. Within this
democracy people still live everyday being food insecure. “Food insecurity exists when all people, at all
times, do not have physical and economic access to the sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their
dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.” Poverty easily coexists with food
insecurity and is the main cause of hunger and malnutrition. Poverty exists when there is lack of income,
productive malnutrition, illiteracy, homelessness, inadequate housing, unsafe environment, social
discrimination, and many more factors. More than 850 million people all over the world live everyday
being food insecure. One in seven people live with a problem that can be fixed. “Malnutrition not only
denies people their right to health; it also has serious economic implications. Malnourished children are
less able to concentrate in school, and malnourished adults are less able to work effectively – thus
undermining productivity and economic growth.” Although urbanization is increasing, the poor are still
mainly in the rural areas. An estimated 7.3 million people move into the rapidly growing urban areas of
India every year. Though the number of middle class citizens is growing, there is an extreme gap between
the rich and poor. Around 35 percent of the population is living below the poverty line. The growing
population is over straining natural resources. For example, water and electricity in the cities has not
been able to keep up with the number of people moving in. The back up of low cost housing being built
has also lead to many people having to live in the slums, having up to ten people in a one room shack.
The governmental policies that relate only to a country’s internal affairs are known as domestic policies.
Though India's overall economy and trade relations are improving, the poor people are still struggling to
survive. Food and nutritional security can be improved through developments in domestic policies.
speech, religion, and the press ever since their constitution was adopted on January 26, 1950. Within this
democracy people still live everyday being food insecure. “Food insecurity exists when all people, at all
times, do not have physical and economic access to the sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their
dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.” Poverty easily coexists with food
insecurity and is the main cause of hunger and malnutrition. Poverty exists when there is lack of income,
productive malnutrition, illiteracy, homelessness, inadequate housing, unsafe environment, social
discrimination, and many more factors. More than 850 million people all over the world live everyday
being food insecure. One in seven people live with a problem that can be fixed. “Malnutrition not only
denies people their right to health; it also has serious economic implications. Malnourished children are
less able to concentrate in school, and malnourished adults are less able to work effectively – thus
undermining productivity and economic growth.” Although urbanization is increasing, the poor are still
mainly in the rural areas. An estimated 7.3 million people move into the rapidly growing urban areas of
India every year. Though the number of middle class citizens is growing, there is an extreme gap between
the rich and poor. Around 35 percent of the population is living below the poverty line. The growing
population is over straining natural resources. For example, water and electricity in the cities has not
been able to keep up with the number of people moving in. The back up of low cost housing being built
has also lead to many people having to live in the slums, having up to ten people in a one room shack.
The governmental policies that relate only to a country’s internal affairs are known as domestic policies.
Though India's overall economy and trade relations are improving, the poor people are still struggling to
survive. Food and nutritional security can be improved through developments in domestic policies.
Agri-innovations key to food security in India
15 November 2009
In view of global food insecurity, use of biotechnology and innovations in agriculture can improve yields and provide relief to the farmers, say experts. At a workshop in India’s capital, the need for a new Green Revolution has been strongly recommended.
New Delhi: After a controversial decision by a government committee to give its approval for commercial production of Bt Brinjal in India, the country’s minister of state for agriculture K.V. Thomas has been found arguing in favour of genetically modified crops.
Ignoring the havoc that the Bt cotton created in the country ever since it was introduced in 2002, he went on endorsing the crop: “The induction of Bt cotton has taught us that patience and endurance are as important as enthusiasm in biotech-enhanced crops. The superior performance and the disease resistance qualities of GM crops are enormous."
He, however, clarified that that there have been new safeguards proposed for GM crops. "There has been a screening and evaluation system put into position with multi-ministry participation."
“We must never be too much positive or negative. Let us be scientific, let us be practical. In the face of climate change impact, we have to improve the productivity and bring down the cost of production,” he added.
Giving his stamp of approval for controversial Bt Brinjal, Dr. C. Kameswara Rao, founder, Foundation for Biotechnology, Awareness and Education, said: “From the time of initiation till commercial release, a genetically modified crop involves more than 10 years of research by over 150 scientific and technical personnel. Bt Brinjal has been adequately tested and found to be functional and safe. Enhanced public awareness on this body of positive evidence will promote informed decisions and wider acceptance of this technology.”
“We have to clearly establish that if something is to be accepted then we have to see that it is not harmful to human lives and the environment. The area of biotechnology could become an area of promise which can lead to a second Green Revolution. We also have to see that all the resources that we employ in agriculture should be used efficiently,” he added.
With India’s population estimated to reach 1.3 billion by 2017, the Government of India estimates that the country may fall short of 14 million metric tons of food grains. This has created the need to meet rising food needs by improving India’s crop productivity through the use of technology and innovations in agriculture.
Various Indian public and private sector institutions are conducting extensive agriculture and plant research to increase food security and provide nutritionally-enhanced food to meet the nations’ growing food and nutrition.
Advances in plant biotechnology and plant genomics have received mixed responses in India. Some of the achievements have been acclaimed by end-users whereas others have faced criticisms. Therefore careful choice of modern technology as well as realistic assessment of their potential in crop improvement is needed.
Dr Swapan Dutta, deputy-director general, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) said: “Climate risks are common in Indian agriculture. It has been well documented that crops attain about 25% of their yield potential because of the detrimental effects of environmental stress. Land resources available to agriculture are shrinking while population continues to grow. Hence it is imperative that innovations in agriculture technology are employed to ensure food security for the country.”
Panellists pointed out that science-based dialogue and transparency are the best approach to convince people about the advantages of biotechnology for crop improvement. They also emphasised that people must not fall prey to “negative activism” and use their rational minds to explore the potential benefits of plant biotechnology.
- K.V. Thomas, India's minister of state for agriculture/ Photo credit: Anna Nath/ OWSA
Ignoring the havoc that the Bt cotton created in the country ever since it was introduced in 2002, he went on endorsing the crop: “The induction of Bt cotton has taught us that patience and endurance are as important as enthusiasm in biotech-enhanced crops. The superior performance and the disease resistance qualities of GM crops are enormous."
He, however, clarified that that there have been new safeguards proposed for GM crops. "There has been a screening and evaluation system put into position with multi-ministry participation."
“We must never be too much positive or negative. Let us be scientific, let us be practical. In the face of climate change impact, we have to improve the productivity and bring down the cost of production,” he added.
Giving his stamp of approval for controversial Bt Brinjal, Dr. C. Kameswara Rao, founder, Foundation for Biotechnology, Awareness and Education, said: “From the time of initiation till commercial release, a genetically modified crop involves more than 10 years of research by over 150 scientific and technical personnel. Bt Brinjal has been adequately tested and found to be functional and safe. Enhanced public awareness on this body of positive evidence will promote informed decisions and wider acceptance of this technology.”
- Dr R.K.Pachauri addressing the gathering/ Photo credit: Anna Nath/ OWSA
“We have to clearly establish that if something is to be accepted then we have to see that it is not harmful to human lives and the environment. The area of biotechnology could become an area of promise which can lead to a second Green Revolution. We also have to see that all the resources that we employ in agriculture should be used efficiently,” he added.
With India’s population estimated to reach 1.3 billion by 2017, the Government of India estimates that the country may fall short of 14 million metric tons of food grains. This has created the need to meet rising food needs by improving India’s crop productivity through the use of technology and innovations in agriculture.
Various Indian public and private sector institutions are conducting extensive agriculture and plant research to increase food security and provide nutritionally-enhanced food to meet the nations’ growing food and nutrition.
Advances in plant biotechnology and plant genomics have received mixed responses in India. Some of the achievements have been acclaimed by end-users whereas others have faced criticisms. Therefore careful choice of modern technology as well as realistic assessment of their potential in crop improvement is needed.
Dr Swapan Dutta, deputy-director general, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) said: “Climate risks are common in Indian agriculture. It has been well documented that crops attain about 25% of their yield potential because of the detrimental effects of environmental stress. Land resources available to agriculture are shrinking while population continues to grow. Hence it is imperative that innovations in agriculture technology are employed to ensure food security for the country.”
- Panellists: (Left to right): Ajai Vir Jakhar, Chairman Bharat Krishak Samaj; Dr S.R.Rao, advisor, Department of Biotechnology; K.V.Thomas, minister of state for agriculture; Dr R.K. Pachauri, director-general TERI; Dr Swapan Dutta, DDG (CS), ICAR/ Photo credit: Anna Nath/ OWSA
Panellists pointed out that science-based dialogue and transparency are the best approach to convince people about the advantages of biotechnology for crop improvement. They also emphasised that people must not fall prey to “negative activism” and use their rational minds to explore the potential benefits of plant biotechnology.
Food Security in India
Posted by Dr. R. Shashi Kumar at 10 May 2010
The food security in India facing the problems of both controlled and uncontrolled marketing deficiencies. Unless that sector is sustainable you cannot
really look for options for people to achieve food security in the immediate short or
even mid-term. Unfortunately, in the past, the food security issue was delinked from
agricultural production. Around 35
per cent world’s food insecure population lives in India and 10-15 per cent of the
total households in India are food insecure, and do not get an assurance of getting
at least two meals a day. Though PDS is a major step in bringing the food seucirty clause into the mainstream, many of the states does not get the proper support from the State itself. There are problems of health and education
15
access because of the increasing expenses incurred on costly food. Landlessness
and the casualisation of labour have grown, and the seasonality of rural work has
sharpened every decade, every year. The WTO agreement also affects the food security in different way. Hence, it's now the high time to the Goverment to come out with a new strategy to secure food in India for non-secured people.
really look for options for people to achieve food security in the immediate short or
even mid-term. Unfortunately, in the past, the food security issue was delinked from
agricultural production. Around 35
per cent world’s food insecure population lives in India and 10-15 per cent of the
total households in India are food insecure, and do not get an assurance of getting
at least two meals a day. Though PDS is a major step in bringing the food seucirty clause into the mainstream, many of the states does not get the proper support from the State itself. There are problems of health and education
15
access because of the increasing expenses incurred on costly food. Landlessness
and the casualisation of labour have grown, and the seasonality of rural work has
sharpened every decade, every year. The WTO agreement also affects the food security in different way. Hence, it's now the high time to the Goverment to come out with a new strategy to secure food in India for non-secured people.
Food Insecurity and High Inflation in India finds its place in Mainstream Cinema;Movie Peepli Live Sensitively covers Farmer Suicides due to Debt Distress
India has seen a high number of Farmer Suicides in recent times brought upon by high debt and unremunerative farming methods.India has a high percentage of its population around 70-80% dependent on agriculture which only contributes 10% to India’s GDP.With small land holdings and crops dependent on the seasonal monsoons,farmers frequently find themselves in distress.High populuation has also contributed to small plots which are insufficient to feed a farmer’s family.Influx of foreign seeds and fertilizers has done little to alleviate the rural distress.It has led to high costs of agricultural inputs which require a high yield crop outpot everytime.India’s famour economic reforms of 1990 has failed to touch its agricultural population.Vested interests have managed to block the entry of Supermarket chains and reforms in Rural Supply Chains.This leads to high inefficiency and cornering of profits by middlemen.This has led to a large number of cases of suicides which the government has failed to stop.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Who wants to help the farmer?
The government first banned wheat exports to keep the domestic prices well below the prevailing international prices, and then to augment its stock for the public distribution system (PDS), it has imported wheat at nearly double the price of what it offers to the wheat growers in the country. Farmers thus took a double hit: first through the export ban and then through state-sponsored dumping. Producers of no other commodity in the country have faced such ill treatment.
The problem is systemic and two aspects of the PDS are responsible for this. First, the necessity of large-scale procurement of grains by the state makes anti-farmer policies inevitable. The enormous inefficiencies in the operation of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) compel the government to suppress domestic prices so that FCI’s procurement cost is affordable. Government does it through a ban on exports or state-sponsored dumping.
Milind Murugkar Tags : Posted: Fri Mar 21 2008, 23:28 hrs
The current rate of agricultural productivity growth is lagging the world's expanding demands, according to a new report released today at the 2010 World Food Prize Symposium in Des Moines, Iowa. The Global Harvest Initiative's 2010 GAP Report, developed with the Farm Foundation and USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS), quantifies for the first time the difference between the current rate of global agricultural productivity growth and the pace required to meet future needs.
Doubling agricultural output to meet global demand by 2050 will require an annual average growth of at least 1.75% in total factor productivity or TFP, says Neil Conklin, president of the Farm Foundation and author of the report. Total factor productivity is the increase in output per unit of total resources employed in production. Between 2000 and 2007, ERS estimates global ag TFP growth averaged 1.4% per year.
Doubling agricultural output to meet global demand by 2050 will require an annual average growth of at least 1.75% in total factor productivity or TFP, says Neil Conklin, president of the Farm Foundation and author of the report. Total factor productivity is the increase in output per unit of total resources employed in production. Between 2000 and 2007, ERS estimates global ag TFP growth averaged 1.4% per year.
Published: Oct 13, 2010
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Making institutional finance available to every farmer is another important solution to save to the farmers from debt traps of money lenders. Where institutional finance is available, it should be made easily accessible to the poorest farmers. This calls for removing of elaborate formalities and procedures for obtaining the loans. A poor farmer would be unable to understand the complexities of procedures, he needs a simple solution for his financial needs. Effective monitoring of the disbursed funds is also required because in many cases, the poor farmer is used as a front-end while in fact the benefit of the loan is availed by a bigger land owner. In addition, monitoring is also needed to ensure that the farmers are using the funds for the right purposes.
The dependency of agriculture on nature should be reduced. This calls for effective management of water during seasons of good monsoons. Prevention of crop failure should be the primary aim of the Government. In most cases, it is not the lack of water but the lack of proper management on the government's part that causes water shortage. A simple example for this is the recent case of the farmers in the Penna delta of Nellore District of Andhra Pradesh. Inspite of the availability of ample water for a second crop, the Government decided against permitting the second crop, in view of proposed repairs and upgradation to the reservoirs. The proposal would result in draining of precious water into the sea which could be used to the benefit of the farmers. It was only after several agitations by the farmers' organizations that the Government relented and allowed the second crop. Water management should be made more effective through inter- state co-operation on water resources, where surplus water from perennial rivers can be diverted to those regions facing drought, as it is always seen in India, where in state there is severe drought, another state has to face worst floods, such regional imbalances can be managed by effective utilization of water resources throughout the country.
Repeated crop failures, debt hassles, lack of alternative sources of income, absence of institutional finance have left the farmers with no other solution other than ending their lives. Another disturbing trend has been observed where farmers commit suicide in order to avail relief and benefits announced by the government to support the families of the farmers who have died. This is true in the case of several farmers in Andhra Pradesh who committed suicide so that their families could atleast benefit from the Government's relief programmes.
Agriculture works out profitably where the size of the land is medium to large to benefit from the economies of large scale production. The fact is that majority of the farmers in India own as little as 2 acres of land, cultivation on such small sized lands is not feasible, in many cases, the farmers are not even the owners of the land, which makes profitable cultivation impossible because a significant portion of the earnings go towards the payment of lease for the land. At times, even the middle to large land owners are faced with the difficulties of the vast majority of farmers, however, they are able to atleast realize their investment for each crop.
The farmers normally resort to borrowing from money lenders, in the absence of institutionalized finance. Where institutional finance is available, the ordinary farmer does not have a chance of availing it because of the "procedures" involved in disbursing the finance. The institutional finance, where available is mostly availed by the medium or large land owners, the small farmers do not even have the awareness of the existence of such facilities. The money lender is the only source of finance to the farmers. Should the crops fail, the farmers fall into a debt trap and crop failures piled up over the years give them no other option other than ending their lives. The input - output ratio, in terms of money invested in agriculture is very meager, primarily because of raising cost of inputs and insufficient support prices from the government.
India has witnessed a spate of droughts over the last decade. The worst affected being the farmers of Rayalaseema districts in Andhra Pradesh, it is the cotton farmers in the state of Maharashtra. Nature has repeatedly failed the farmers of these states and owing to lack of facilities to save their crops, these farmers have no means to face the adversities of crop failures. If the farmers are at the mercy of monsoons for timely water for their crops, they are at the mercy of the government for alternative irrigation facilities. The Government cannot be trusted to always act in the interest of the farmers.
To understand this, one must analyse the agricultural set up in India. Indian agriculture is predominantly dependant on nature. Irrigation facilities that are currently available, do not cover the entire cultivable land. Any failure of nature, directly affects the fortunes of the farmers. Secondly, Indian agriculture is largely an unorganized sector, there is no systematic planning in cultivation, farmers work on lands of uneconomical sizes, institutional finances are not available and minimum purchase prices of the government do not in reality reach the poorest farmer. Added to this, the cost of agricultural inputs have been steadily rising over the years, farmers' margins of profits have been narrowing because the price rise in inputs is not complemented by an increase in the purchase price of the agricultural produce. Even today, in several parts of the country, agriculture is a seasonal occupation. In many districts, farmers get only one crop per year and for the remaining part of the year, they find it difficult to make both ends meet.
The farmers normally resort to borrowing from money lenders, in the absence of institutionalized finance. Where institutional finance is available, the ordinary farmer does not have a chance of availing it because of the "procedures" involved in disbursing the finance. The institutional finance, where available is mostly availed by the medium or large land owners, the small farmers do not even have the awareness of the existence of such facilities. The money lender is the only source of finance to the farmers. Should the crops fail, the farmers fall into a debt trap and crop failures piled up over the years give them no other option other than ending their lives. The input - output ratio, in terms of money invested in agriculture is very meager, primarily because of raising cost of inputs and insufficient support prices from the government.
Agriculture has always been celebrated as the primary sector in India. India is an agrarian economy, which means, Agriculture is the pre-dominant sector of the Indian economy. True to this, even to this day, inspite of the Indian economy opening out to the world and globalization, close to 70% of the population still depends on agriculture for its livelihood. The secondary and tertiary sectors in India are growing at rapid rates, still a vast majority of Indians continue to depend on agriculture. Every plan for the growth of the Indian economy aims at agricultural development, which is justified because to achieve the growth rates that the economy aims at, it is important to first address the growth rate of the major sector of the economy. Since the first Five year plan, India's focus has been on agriculture and after 50 years of Five year plans, where does Indian agriculture stand?
Thanks to the Green Revolution, India is now self-sufficient in food production, gone are the days when India had to import even food grains for daily consumption. Indian agriculture has been making technological advancement as well. Today, a visit to the villages will reveal that more and more farmers are adopting mechanization for their farming, there is an overall improvement in the agricultural trends in India.
Thanks to the Green Revolution, India is now self-sufficient in food production, gone are the days when India had to import even food grains for daily consumption. Indian agriculture has been making technological advancement as well. Today, a visit to the villages will reveal that more and more farmers are adopting mechanization for their farming, there is an overall improvement in the agricultural trends in India.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
बहिणाबाई चौधरी
पेरनी पेरनी
पेरनी पेरनी
आले पावसाचे वारे
बोलला पोपया
पेर्ते व्हा रे, पेर्ते व्हा रे!
पेरनी पेरनी
आभायात गडगड,
बरस बरस
माझ्या उरी धडधड!
पेरनी पेरनी
आता मिरुग बी सरे.
बोलेना पोपया
पेर्ते व्हा रे, पेर्ते व्हा रे!
पेरनी पेरनी
अवघ्या जगाच्या कारनी.
ढोराच्या चारनी,
कोटी पोटाची भरनी.
धरित्रीच्या कुशीमधे
धरित्रीच्या कुशीमधे
बियबियाणं निजली
वर पसरली माती
जशी शाल पांघरली
बीय डरारे भुईत
सर्व कोंब आले वर
गहिवरलं शेत जसं
अंगावरती शहारं
ऊनवाऱ्याशी खेळता
एका एका कोंबांतून
प्रगटली दोन पानं
जसे हात ते जोडून
टाळ्या वाजवती पानं
दंग देवाच्या भजनी
जशी करती करुणा
होऊ दे रे आबादनी
दिसमासा होय वाढ
रोप झाली आता मोठी
आला पिकाला बहर
झाली शेतामध्ये दाटी
कशी वाऱ्यानं डोलती
दाणे आले गाडी गाडी
देव अजब गारुडी
देव अजब गारुडी
brain drain
If educated youth choose to live in villages and launch the new agriculture movement based on the integrated application of science and social wisdom ,our untapped demographic dividend will become our greatest strength....
During his recent visit,President Barak Obama pointed out that India is fortunate to have a youthful population with over half of the total population of 1.2 billion being under the age of 30.Out of the 600 million young persons, over 60% live in villages. Most of them are educated .Gandhiji considered the migration of educated youth from villages to towns and cities as the most serious form of brain drain affecting adversely rural India's development. He therefore stressed that we should take steps to end the divorce between intellect and labour in rural professions.The national commission on Farmers stressed the need for attracting and retaining educated youth in farming.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Farmer Honesty
There seem to be but three ways for a nation to acquire wealth. The first is by war, as the Romans did, in plundering their conquered neighbors. This is robbery. The second by commerce, which is generally cheating. The third by agriculture, the only honest way, wherein man receives a real increase of the seed thrown into the ground, in a kind of continual miracle, wrought by the hand of God in his favor, as a reward for his innocent life and his virtuous industry
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Who cares for conserving our national resources and protect the poor Indian farmers from the patented seed introduced by the Indian agents of foreign companies.Actually India is big market for them.In the name of science we favours massive profits of the companies.