Invention to convention -An essential shift in Indian Agriculture As a country, we moved from food starving to food surplus nation in about 75years. Our food grain production increased from 50 Million MT in 1951 to 308 Million MT in 2020-21, which is a considerable achievement. With food grains such as paddy and wheat, shifting from sellers’ market to buyers’ market with bumper production in subsequent years, farmers are facing problems in selling the produce, despite Minimum support price (MSP) mechanisms. In fact it is impossible for any government directly purchasing from farmers at Minimum support price (MSP) and sustain the operations.   The intention of MSP is to act as bench mark price.   While working on MSP, other than cost of production, the other factors such crop planning, value addition possibilities, export potential, cost of buffer stock management etc., shall be considered. Just declaring MSP is not sufficient from Government, it has work on whole lot ...

  GOVERNANCE OF FARMERS- IS IT FOR THEIR WELFARE OR ILLFARE ?  Sugarcane cultivation is under control of Govt with zonal system, where in each sugar factory is defined as zone and cane cultivation in that zone is monitored by cane director/commissioner. Factories enter into purchase agreements, arrange for soft loans, provide extension services which include bio fertilisers, seed varieties, cash subsidies etc. The cane commissioner role is to ensure cane development, improved productivity , farmers welfare and also cane regulation in order of priority. But in reality 90% of their effort and interest is in cane regulation, not in farmers welfare, for the reasons best known to them. Though the sugarcane act talk about zonal regulation, farmer is always at liberty to not enter into cane agreement with local factory and at his free will he can grow sugarcane and market it as he likes. The opportunities include supply to fresh juice venders, jaggery making, supply to factori...

MY  AGRI JOURNEY CONTINUES-TALES OF SUGARCANE FARMERS . Sugarcane rates are more stable as it is decided based on fair & remunerative price (FRP) fixed by GOI annually coupled with sugar recovery. Hence the minimum guarantee is assured to farmers. Due to prevailing zonal system of cane movement regulation, farmers are automatically tied up with sugar unit located in the respective zone. Factories arrange crop loans from banks based on the cane purchase agreements, due to which the tenant farmers, defective title land holders ,also get easy access to loans, which was not case with regular crop loans. Few factories lure farmers with notional subsidies in the form of seed, fertilisers etc , but finally adjust in the cane pricing. Though Rangarajan committee on sugar industry formed during UPA Govt,came out with sound recommendations in favour of farmers , like free zone, comprehensive pricing formula for cane considering value for baggase, Molasses and other products etc, i...

INDIAN SUGAR INDUSTRY- STAKEHOLDERS ENGAGEMENT                              B Guruva Reddy , BE (Agri. Eng), PGDRM(IRMA)                                 grbonthu@gmail.com -9866889246                                                                                                Introduction: Sugar...