Bhopal Apr 4 (ANI): A battle of wits is being waged between the lobbies pitching for organic agriculture and those who stick to the current formulae of chemical fertilizer-pesticides usage.
On the face of it, this conflict seems to reflect two diametrically opposed approaches to getting the maximum out of agriculture.
But we need to delve a little deeper to find out just what the dynamics are in this face-off. To take the example of Madhya Pradesh, a slew of Agro Business meets were organised which drew in the 'biggies' in agricultural sector or rather corporates and houses, which saw the potential of agriculture in a purely commercial way.
These Meets under the aegis of the government were opportunities for these interests to get a preview of their market and strike deals or MoU's with the government. Over the past few months, these 'Business Bazaars' held at Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur and Khajuraho have converged on the coveted document, MoU, which would open up the fields literally and figuratively speaking to their business plans.
The latest meet was organized in Khajuraho in October 2010 where MoUs worth Rs. 2000 crores were signed. The corporates have a game plan that it is predicated on, clearly the profit motive. It would thus produce flow-charts of inputs into agriculture leading to growth of the sector.
But we would be living in a fool's paradise if we mistake this growth for social commitment or the responsibility for ensuring that this will secure the lives of the thousands of farmers and agricultural labourers. What is crucial is to view the outcome of these 'Business Meets' from the prism of social justice and equity.
What has been decided at these Meets is to open new factories in power sector, fertilizer chemicals and cements sector. This entire edifice is being erected on the bulk sale of agricultural lands, which as experiences with Singur and more recently with the agitation around POSCO have shown needs extreme caution and sagacity.
What is interesting is that as a pre-cursor to the Meet, a special session in the MP Assembly was called to discuss the "development model of agriculture'.
The emerging statements indicated a tendency to merely skim the surface than go to the root of the problem, which the agriculture sector is facing. For example the move to recognise the 13 climatic zones in the state as distinct needing differentiated approach to boost production.
The Agricultural Minister showed the government's intent to provide subsidies to farmers who were not getting a good price for their produce. In a sense, these sops were to get the farmers on their side, which was to pitch for corporatisation of agriculture.
The government had thrown the dice in favour of widespread development of AEZ (Agriculture Economic Zone and the SEZ (Special Economic Zone).
This an unbridled use of agricultural lands for industry, which in turn needed, the farmers acquiescence. This is already afoot with more than 18,000 hectare of fertile land having already exchanged hands.
The era of contractual farming has arrived in Madhya Pradesh with over 10 lakh hectare in the state being ploughed not by farmers but by companies. What is of critical importance is to know how many ceiling rules and regulations were violated and lands of small and marginalized farmers taken over?
Over the years there has been a systematic decimation of the systems of agriculture and sale of produce, in the way the farmer engages with the process of cultivation and with the markets that provide the remuneration for his labour. What is sad is that the new systems being put in place, with the corporate sector being given the priority at the policy level, the interests of these farmers is being compromised.
If we look at the beginning of this process with the BJP government in 2003-04, there has been a barrage of such moves. Change in Mandi laws, encouragement to contractual farming, beginning Bt cotton cultivation in western MP, all indicate the trend. What has been particularly disturbing is the move to reserve food grain for purchase by big companies like Indian Tobacco Company (ITC), Australian Wheat Board (AWB), Reliance, Kargil, Unilever, Mahindra, Dhanuka, Mahika and Monsento.
This is the new 'retail market' opening up in the state and indeed in the country but the question is at what and whose cost? The dazzling outlets of Reliance Fresh, Mahindra Shubh Labh, Harit Bazaar are all coming up on the collapsed systems of the farmers engagement with the market. This leads to the moot question, the only one worth being asked today-on whose side is the government on, its people or the corporates?
Can we change the rules of the game, the terms of reference between those who produce and those who sell? Perhaps it is indeed time for a maverick to come up with a creative, out-of-the-box model, which would make the cultivators equal partners in rewards being reaped in markets based on their produce.
The Charkha Development News network feels that if this utopian theory gradually takes root and replaces the present one, so obviously loaded against the cultivators, fewer children would die of malnutrition and fewer farmers will commit suicide. By Yogesh Dewan (ANI)
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