Sharad Pawar on Indian Agriculture

It is a real shame that the union finance ministry is not ready to bring reforms in agriculture sector. Though the agriculture is a state subject, the central government must allocate enough funds to this sector going out of its way. Just having a high profile minister like Sharad Pawar does not help. There must be some financial powers invested to his ministry. The agriculture and irrigation should become the central subject, without that it looks difficult to bring reforms in this sector. The following is what the helpless agriculture minister said regarding Indian Agriculture.

Budgetory Provisions
The farming community has been ignored in this country and especially so over the last eight to 10 years. The total investment in the agriculture sector is going down. Public and private investment in the sector over the last few years, at least the last two Plans, has been in a very serious situation. You will be surprised—in the budgetary provision, not more than 2% has been allocated for agriculture, where more than 65% of the population works.
Again, the most important thing for agriculture is irrigation. In the last few years, the average budgetary provision from the Indian government for irrigation is less than 0.35%—not even half a per cent money has been provided for water. In the country as a whole, only 40% of the area is under irrigation—there is no problem there. But for the 60% that depends totally on the erratic monsoon, it is pathetic.

Harvesting Losses
The total harvesting losses in this country are somewhere near 30%. Thirty per cent means around Rs 55,000 to 65,000 crore a year is wasted because there is no infrastructure. That’s almost the same as India’s defence budget. We are wasting 30% of the gross income of the farming community and of the country.