New Delhi. A major change in India’s agricultural policy is slowly taking shape. The Central Government has advised the states to adapt their bonus policy in favor of pulses, oilseeds and coarse grains. That is not just an administrative step, but an attempt to give direction to the future of farming.
Why is dependence on wheat and paddy a matter of concern?
Over the past several decades, especially in North India, the farming pattern has revolved around wheat and paddy. The main reason for this is that along with the Minimum Support Price (MSP) on these crops, additional bonuses are also given by many states. This provides financial security to the farmers, but they hesitate to switch to other crops.
The result was that:The production of pulses and oilseeds remained relatively low, groundwater was over-exploited (especially in paddy cultivation), soil quality was affected by excessive use of chemical fertilizers, meaning that this strategy adopted for short-term gains became a challenge for both the environment and food security in the long run.
Crop diversification: direction of solution
The central government now wants to promote ‘crop diversification’. This means that along with wheat and paddy, farmers should also grow pulses, oilseeds and coarse grains (like millet, jowar).
Efforts so far and their results
The government has already worked in this direction through several schemes: direct financial assistance to crores of farmers under PM-KISAN, protection from weather-related risks through the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, initiatives to improve soil quality through the Soil Health Card, increased production through the National Edible Oil-Oilseeds Mission and Palm Oil Mission, expansion of Mega Food Parks, thereby reducing post-harvest losses. Due to these efforts, both oilseed production and area have seen a significant increase, and import dependence is also gradually reducing.
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