WILL THE BENEFITS PROMISED IN BUDGET REALLY REACH FARMERS - DRIP IRRIGATION

Will the benefits promised in  budget really reach farmers?- Drip irrigation

In recent budget micro irrigation is one of the major thrust areas in agriculture and  it is one of  the important  components in "Mission- Double the farmers income by 2022"

As an operational strategy , one has to think how to make drip affordable to small farmers and work with vision that by 2022 , farmers will be in a position to install and maintain drip and other micro irrigation systems without depending on Govt subsidies. To achieve this goal lot of dedication and commitment at policy level is required. The existing systems are to be captured and real sincere efforts are required to break the nexus built over generations.

The major components of drip irrigation systems include PE piping, valves, backflow preventers, filters and raw material is plastics. As all of us are aware RIL is the major manufacturer of PP/PE granules in India. IOCL, HMEL, MRPL, Haldia also started production in last five years and ONGC is in pipeline. The public sector units are expected to work towards ensuring supplies, fair competition, what Dr Kurien could do in case of milk and milk products. But in reality it's not happening in plastics and reliance control the pricing. 

Petroleum products change rates on every Thursday based on international petroleum prices, but in India it is in the hands of RIL and others follow what RIL does. The very purpose of public sector intervention is being defeated.

With this near monopoly situation , RIL is able to fatten its balance sheet with huge income from petrochemicals, thus one major portion of cake ( budget for drip irrigation) is eaten by RIL, how will we reach the mission of doubling farmers income by reducing input costs as one intervention? Serious deliberations are required in this regard.

Next is drip irrigation companies with major role from Jain Irrigation. Most of plastic processors buy granules , process and sell on weight and operate with thin margins. In case of drip under the cover of Israel and other technology, the major companies are controlling markets and enjoying huge margins. As the major sale is through Government subsidies, there is a process of rate contracts and often the major companies become coterie and manage the show .  Because of this situation even after three decades of micro irrigation in India still it is not popular among farmers and dependency on subsidies is not coming down. So another portion of cake ( budget for micro irrigation) is being eaten by big drip companies.

To break this nexus, small and medium scale units in micro irrigation at each taluk level shall be encouraged with industrial promotion objective and create real competition. In fact most of the drip companies in india learned from farmers and improving their systems. Local youth with better exposure to farming can certainly design better systems suiting to the local needs.

Except in few areas in Maharastra, Gujarat, AP and TN, the drip industry is not reached to local areas and due to huge cost implications farmers are finding it difficult to go for replacements on their own.

UNLESS UNTILL GOI, LOOKS AT THESE OPERATIONAL ISSUES WITH CARE, THE MISSION OF “ DOUBLING FARMERS INCOME” WILL REMAIN AS DREAM ONLY.

BGR