BS Manthan: GM only way to lower edible oil imports, says NITI’s Chand
India faces a growing demand for edible oils, prompting discussions on raising import duties. NITI Aayog’s Ramesh Chand stresses the need for advanced technologies like GM crops to boost oilseed production. Experts at the Business Standard’s “Manthan” event highlighted agriculture’s strengths but also emphasized farmers’ low incomes. Calls were made for skill development to transition workers into higher-paying sectors.
As India once again looks to raise import duties on edible oils to protect domestic farmers, NITI Aayog Member Ramesh Chand, an eminent agriculture economist, said here on Friday that India can only meet its rising demand for edible oils either by lowering consumption or through adoption of new technologies, such as genetically modified (GM) crops. He was speaking at the Business Standard annual event “Manthan”.
The Aayog has submitted a report to the government both on oilseeds and pulses wherein it has talked of faster and quicker adoption of new technologies, such as transgenic, to lower dependence on imports.
“Despite having the highest soybean-growing areas in the country, our yields have stagnated at the same levels as they were in the 1970s. The growth of oilseed production in India has not kept pace with consumption growth, and without embracing advanced technology, it will be difficult to reduce dependency on imports,” Chand said.
Speaking at a panel discussion on “Is Agriculture India’s Strength Or Weakness”, experts said although agriculture is India’s strength, yet it faces many challenges, and raising farmers’ income is prime among them as it is minuscule when compared to that of government employees.
Ajay Vir Jakhar, chairman of Bharat Krishak Samaj, said: “We as farmers take pride in our work, we are also deeply hurt by how government policies have treated us.”
“To put things in context, I feel policymakers suffer from what I would call ‘selective memory loss’. They tend to overlook the challenges farmers face. The elephant in the room is the comparison between the incomes of farmers and salaries of government employees. I think this is an important question that should be raised in the coming months,” Jakhar said.
He said around 45 per cent of Indians, or approximately 65 crore people, depend on agriculture for their livelihood. Of these, 60-70 per cent earn less than ₹10,000 a month. Non-agricultural income excluded, a staggering 85 per cent of these farmers earn less than ₹10,000 a month, he stressed.
“Now, on the other side of the spectrum, we have the 8th Pay Commission, which will soon determine salary increases for 50 lakh government employees and 65 lakh government pensioners. These figures are significant, and I don’t envy government employees. Rather, I regret the situation that the farmers I represent find themselves in,” Jakhar said.
Chand meanwhile said that to address the question as to why he believes agriculture is India’s strength, there are a few key points. Despite the growing mechanisation in agriculture, labour remains the major input. Secondly, though global conversation around agriculture has shifted towards ‘food systems’ or ‘agri-food systems’, India has been practising a mixed crop-livestock system for centuries now, adding another key strength is the diversity of Indian agriculture.
He further said that one of the greatest strengths of Indian agriculture is the responsiveness of small farmers to modern technology and inputs, which often exceeds that of larger farmers on a per-acre basis. Chand said while there are challenges that Indian agriculture faces, the strengths far outweigh the weaknesses.
The third expert on the panel, C S C Sekhar, professor, Institute of Economic Growth, said that while agriculture remains a strength for India at the national level — especially in terms of food self-sufficiency — there is a pressing need to ensure that this strength translates into tangible benefits for the farmers who form the backbone of this sector.
Sekhar said in the long run, there is no alternative but to ensure that people move out of agriculture into more productive sectors.
“But it’s crucial that this transition is not simply about moving people from agriculture to low-paying, unskilled jobs like MGNREGA labour. There must be a focus on skills development, so they can move up the value chain and contribute to more sustainable, higher-paying employment opportuNITIes,” Sekhar said.
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Source : Business Standard
