Steps to reclaim land fertility in the agricultural lands in the country.
The problems and prospects of agricultural development in the country,
some suitable and practicable policy suggestions for agricultural
planning are being made for viable and accelerated development of agricultural
and allied activities in India.
- The first and the foremost priority should be given to expansion of more and more agricultural lands through effective, appropriate and adequate reclamation measures. Immediate ‘measures should be undertaken to develop kutcha roads up to the fertile slopes and forest. This task should be specifically entrusted to Authorized Departments, and/or Non-Governmental Organizations, with instructions to finish the reclamation works within stipulated time period.
- The government and policy implementing authorities should take into consideration the core competence of the society. The culture of work systems like community works, exchange services, group works or self help works should be encouraged in implementation of agricultural development works through appropriate incentives.
- The waste lands in the area are physically handicapped with the problems like soil erosion, soil degradation etc. The problem of soil erosion is more acute on slopes of hills and soil degradation is confined in the water-logged areas. Green manuring, compost manuring and artificial manuring etc. should be adopted to recoup and maintain the fertility of the soils.
- The practice of shifting cultivation in the high hills should be initiated to settled practice of agriculture in particular. Proper knowledge regarding consumption-demand pattern, and cost-benefit pattern, in general should be imparted. This will ensure better utilization of land and increase the income and yield of the farmers.
- The existing network of irrigational facilities should be expanded to match the present and future demands of the locality through constructing new irrigational channels, boring of new tube-wells, collection of rain water in tanks and through embanking barren valleys, wherever possible.
- The government agencies should provide adequate facilities of loans and subsidies like easy and soft loans for purchasing seeds and fertilizers and development of agriculture lands and provide the farmers to have their own facilities for irrigation through developing channels.
- Cropping belts should be identified in the study area in accordance with the physical qualities of the land, types of the soils and availability of water. Crops requiring good lands should be grown in good soil-water belts, crops with average requirements in medium grade soil-water belt and the crops with lesser requirements in low grade soil-water belt. A suitable crop combination and crop rotation should be practiced in the area where ever posse.
- Similarly, the cropping pattern in Kharif, Rabi, and Zaid seasons should also be adjusted accordingly keeping in view the quality of soils, availability of irrigation, pattern of consumption and demand.
- The practice of multiple and cash cropping should be encouraged by providing adequate irrigational facilities, inputs, storage and marketing facilities to ensure better utilization of land and human resources.
- This will help improve the income and living standard of the farmers and at the same time, it will enrich and strengthen the agricultural sector to meet its own demands as well as the demands of the other parts of the state, slowly making it self sufficient in food grains and providing food security. Similarly, the practice of cash cropping should also be encouraged to meet the diversified demand and consumption needs of the regional population and also to increase the income and living standard of the tanners and labourers.
- The use of improved farm Inputs like HYV seeds, chemical fertilizers, insecticides, sophisticated implements etc. is very low per unit area in the region resulting in a low production and productivity and ultimately, to general poverty among masses. It is, therefore, high time that the inputs per unit area is encouraged and promoted by giving demonstration and educating and training the farmers.
- The agricultural and horticultural pricing should be streamlined and the exploitation of the farmers by middleman, traders and merchants should be stopped by providing adequate marketing facilities for the sale and purchase of the agricultural, horticultural products at the nearest service centre’s, so that the farmers may get returns from their fields.
- The wages of the agricultural labourers should be adequately raised, so that they are encouraged to work efficiently and honestly. This will certainly increase the labour and land productivity and will, for that matter, Improve the income and living standard of the farmers as well as of the labourers.
- The farmers of the area are mostly uneducated and untrained. They are doubtful about the new farming methods, practices and inputs and do not want to deviate from the traditions. Therefore, it is urgently needed that sufficient facilities for training and educating the farmers into the use of new methods and inputs should be provided to their nearest service centre. Care should be taken to ensure that the training brings concrete changes in their behaviour and attitudes. This will generate more confidence in the entire agricultural system.
- State Government’s encouragement and initiation is a basic requirement for over all agricultural development.
