Bid to convert agri into profitable business

Agriculture can never become a profitable preposition unless the interests of every stake holder, beginning from the cultivator to the consumer, are protected in the chain. Not many concerted efforts have been made in this direction so far. Those tried too were not fully successful.

International Society of Extension Education (INSEE) is initiating fresh efforts to evolve an integrated approach for improving the process of agriculture extension on need-based and area specific models. Speaking to TOI about new initiatives of the society LB Kalantri, the new secretary general of society and former state director of sericulture directorate elaborated on the multi-pronged strategy to be adopted for different regions within the country and country-specific problems of the members.

"I would not say that the existing agriculture extension system to take the technologies to farmers has failed. But, we have not been fully successful either. There is scope for modifying the models according to local needs. No single model can work for a big country like India with varied climatic zones. INSEE is working towards developing models that could convert agriculture into profitable business," said Kalantri.

Agriculture extension need to be changed on both academic and technology transfer front. There is need to try out options like group farming rather than cooperative farming wherein self interest groups of women and community can be developed to support farmers. Kalantri said that with gradual reduction in availability of labour force in agriculture there is need to improve the skills of women who are an integral and important part of the labour. Even community participation needs a big change. At academic-level the INSEE is advocating renewed stress on teaching extension at university level.

"I had tried a system called "farmer officer extension system" in sericulture successfully. Unless farmers see another farmer implementing something successfully they do not adopt it. The model will work well for meeting the food security concept. You can provide food to all only if you produce enough and reach it to the lowest level," said Kalantri suggesting changes in technology adoption and dispersion.

The INSEE is proposing models based on backward linkages in production and forward linkages in marketing to distribute the share of profit to every stake holder involved in agriculture. But, these models have to be area specific. "Hanging the money lender is no solution to Vidarbha farmers. Creating an alternative system of finance in agriculture could be a better solution," he said, suggesting that government should take up the job of infrastructure building to bail farmer out of the crisis he is in. INSEE will be organising a brain storming session in summer to seek ideas for improving agriculture extension system.