Story link: http://www.goodnewsindia.com/index.php/Supplement/article/the-m-s-swaminathan-plan

Though India is steadily --if not, rapidly-- urbanising, 70% of Indians are still ‘rural’. Compared with China, India’s record of enfolding the rural sector in the growth wave is better, but that isn’t saying much. Certainly, there are proven increases in the purchasing power of village India. Considerable improvements in rural infrastructure are also visible. But these seem to relate mostly, to well-off, landed farmers, rather than the land-less or marginal farmers, who are a majority in that 70%.

The key to friction-less growth, is to make the labours of small --one to two acre sized-- farm owners result in growing, sustainable incomes. Alongside, we need to create rural jobs everywhere. Water wars and resentment against migratory labour are beginning to rear their heads.

A recent article by Dr. M S Swaminathan in the Hindu [ “Feel-good factor and rural areas”, Jan 30, 2004 ], addresses these issues and lists a number of ideas that would lead to increases in rural yields and jobs. Renowned for his leadership of the Green Revolution, Swaminathan is now an advocate of ‘Ever-Green Revolution’. The M S Swaminathan Research Foundation [MSSRF] in Chennai, has been studying many strategies. His article lists some of those.

His first idea, is an extensive Rural Godowns Scheme, to facilitate perishable produce storage. Combined with crop-diversification and post-harvest technology, an ability to store and wait, will yield better returns for the producer. There are already efforts afoot in India on this front. Swaminathan is probably underlining the need to increase the godowns’ density.

Incomes from livestock often sustain entire families.  Swaminathan’s second idea, is the formation of a Livestock Warehousing Corporation that will cater to both small-scale suppliers and consumers. As “ownership of livestock is more egalitarian,” ready availability of feed will benefit the poorest sections.

It is a pity India is abandoning most of its traditional grains like the many millets. We have however to deal with the reality of rice being the most favoured crop. Given that, Swaminathan’s third idea is to establish ‘Rice Refineries’ --as against, mere ‘Mills’-- in order to recover all the marketable values from the crop and add secondary ones to them.

The fourth idea, is to factor crop and health insurance into the increasingly popular Kisan Credit Cards. In one card, the full spectrum of a poor farmer’s recurring problems would be addressed.

The fifth idea, is to create an awareness of water as a premium input cost. A task force headed by him is about to submit an action plan for “responsible use of biotechnology”. He says, turning to crops that can better resist drought and salinity would result in “more crop per drop”.

His sixth idea flows from the above. His Foundation has already demonstrated the feasibility of Sea-water Farming for Coastal Area Prosperity. They have integrated “the cultivation of mangroves, salicornia, atriplex and other halophytes” with those of prawns and shrimps. In a country where little free farmland is available, coastal wasteland farming would ease social pressures.

Swaminathan in the same article, talks about developing India’s own benchmarks for defining safe pesticide levels. He urges the dropping of standards given by the West. On genetically modified crops however, his views are somewhat vague. It is not clear how he proposes India handle this issue. But his six ideas are discrete and bite-sized enough to be realised.