Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

PM reviews Agricultural Policy for Karnataka

Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh has reviewed the Agricultural scenario in the State of Karnataka in Bangalore today. Following is the text of talking points on the occasion:

"I am happy to be here in Karnataka to discuss with you a major area of shared concern - that of improving the condition of our farmers through improving agriculture.

Karnataka is known across the country as a State, which has led in many development initiatives like land reforms, water shed management, democratic de-centralization to Panchayati Raj institutions, Yashaswini - your innovative health insurance scheme. You also led the country in engineering systems for water management and Sri Visvesvarayya has been an icon.

It is rarely known that as early as in 1920, J.S. Chakravati, Diwan of Mysore, designed a scheme of Weather Insurance.

It is a matter of satisfaction that you have come out with a new Karnataka Agriculture Policy in 2006 with five components of improving soil health, conservation of natural resources, timely deployment of credit and other inputs, integration of post-harvest technology with production and quicker dissemination and transfer of technology.

Let us now discuss some areas of concern

Karnataka has a large arid tract, second only to Rajasthan. This is also the area inhibited by the poorest people in the State. We need to focus our attention much more sharply on this area. I assume that in your plan for improving natural resources you will be focusing on this. In addition to resources available from within the agricultural sector, there is a huge opportunity from the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme to improve private farm lands of farmers below the poverty line, undertake soil and water conservation and improve productivity of land and water. While most of your arid districts are covered under the NREGA, I find that in your utilization of funds under NREGA, still over 28% is being spent on rural connectivity for which Government of India separately funds the Rural Roads Programme. I would urge the State Government to use NREGA funds to undertake a massive campaign for improving all private farmlands of the poor in the arid districts of Karanataka.

Horticulture has been rightly focused in your plan. Under the National Horticulture Mission, an additional area of 31,000 hectares has been brought under horticulture. There is a need to adopt an integrated approach to the development of horticulture which includes post-harvest and marketing infrastructure. Here again, the NREGA provides funds for undertaking horticulture activities on the farms of all people below the poverty line, a provision that the State must use effectively to complement the National Horticulture Mission.

The production of foodgrains in your State has remained stagnant, in a range of 6-10 million tonnes except for the year 2005-06. This is an issue that we addressed in the NDC and have now suggested that district-specific plans be prepared for improving productivity and bridging yield gaps.

This should be addressed through the National Food Security Mission.

The NDC has also decided for providing Additional Central Assistance amounting to Rs. 25,000 crores. The framework that we have agreed upon is to develop district-specific plans for agriculture. This opportunity to integrate multiple streams of resources like NREGA, BRGF etc. together with investments in agriculture in District Plans should be effectively used by the State. Your early leadership in Panchayati Raj ought to give you a firm basis to do this in an effective manner.

I am dissatisfied with the state of our agricultural extension system across the country and this also includes Karnataka, despite its leadership in Panchayati Raj. The revamping of the extension system through communitization and private sector participation should be a major area of focus.

On rural credit the next step to sign the MOU based on the Vaidyanathan Committee recommendations is now with the State Government. Early action on this is desirable.

The State has two good Agricultural Universities and their resources should be effectively used for supporting the needs of Karnataka's agriculture. I am not aware if the State's leadership in the field of information technology has been harnessed effectively to promote the dissemination of information that would be relevant to farmers using these Universities as virtual hubs.

Currently the action plans in farmer suicide-affected districts are focused on irrigation, which gives slower-gains. We have now covered all these districts also under NREGA. I would urge that immediate distress, if any, be addressed through NREGA even as you work on your large irrigation projects.

Since the State has a large area under dry-land, you have rightly focused on improving live-stock and animal husbandry potential. This work needs to be amplified.

Together we can effectively address the challenges facing our farmers and ensure that each one of them has a share in India's prosperity."