Let’s move from food security to farmer prosperity: V-P Dhankhar

Noting that India has transformed itself from a foodgrain importer to an exporter of agricultural produce, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday said the country must move from food security to farmer prosperity.

“You will be happy to know, India is now an exporter of agricultural produce, with agri-food products forming approximately over 11% of our total exports but you have to script a new chapter. You have to write it differently,” the Dhankhar said, addressing the faculty and students of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore.

“It is time that our national agriculture agenda must move from food security, which was of prime importance and national priority at one point of time, because we had food scarcity. So our concern was food security but now time has changed. We must move from food security to farmer prosperity. Farmers have to be prosperous and this script has to evolve from institutions like yours,” the Vice-President said in his speech which was broadcast live on YouTube.

Exhorting the TNAU students and teachers, he said, “You can change that mindset so that a farmer transforms himself from producer to value-adder, starting some industry which is based on his produce. If you just look around, the farm produce market is gigantic, when value is added to farm produce, industries thrive. Corporates can play a bigger role, more and more corporates are entering into agronomy.”

Dhankhar said, “Agriculture has to play a vital role if India has to become USD 30 trillion economy in 2047. The income has to go eightfold. This is possible, this is achievable.”

The Vice-President praised the role played by eminent agriculture scientist MS Swaminathan in achieving food security, saying, “Institutions like yours have to carry ahead the legacy of Dr MS Swaminathan to ensure there is a quantum leap in contribution of this sector to our GDP” which currently stood at only 16 per cent.

Complimenting the TNAU teachers and students for doing much in this direction, he emphasised the role of Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVKs) in bridging the gap between lab and land.

“The gap between lab and land must not only get bridged… it must be a seamless connection. Lab and land must be together and for this, over 730 Krishi Vigyan Kendra must be vibrant centres of interaction with farmers to educate the farmers. But you have to be a pipeline, you have to be supportive to those Krishi Vigyan Kendra. You must connect with Krishi Vigyan Kendra surrounds and also Indian Council of Agriculture Research has over 150 institutions focussing on every aspect of agronomy,” Dhankhar said.

“You must persuade the farmer to rise above just being a producer. You must have courses, formal and informal, whereby farmers, their children, get attracted to farming as marketeers, as value adders and you will be happy to know big change is taking place. But my confidence is optimal, because institutions like yours have the capacity and potential to be crucibles of change for our agro-farm sector,” the Vice-President said.

Highlighting the importance of market linkages, Dhankhar said, “What we need is farmer traders, we need farmer entrepreneurs…There are 6,000 agri-start-ups, but for a country of 1.4 billion, a country that has 100 million farming communities farmlands, this is not the right number.”

He said, “The government has done much by national agriculture market mission but I want, as a son of the farmer, that the farmer must step out of the farmland. Farmers must involve himself or herself in marketing his and her produce. Farmers should not just be producers and forget about it. That would mean he will painstakingly, tirelessly raise a produce and will sell it at a time when it is ripe for market without holding it. He doesn’t gain much financially. You have to empower the farmer by generating awareness, by telling them the government cooperative system is very robust.”

He said, “All stakeholders must work in unison for the same purpose being on the same page. Therefore, the road ahead has to be evolved by you and that first and foremost has to be through your curriculum. I must compliment that you have evolved a curriculum, different from others, which is making a difference. But now this change in curriculum must align to make the farmer an entrepreneur.”

Underlining the importance of research and innovation, the V-P said, “Innovation and research initiatives must be evaluated as to what impact they have on the farmer. Are they having ground impact? And therefore, research has to be a priority. Research must be based on need. Research must serve a cause which you identify. I would urge that research must be supported, apart from the government, at the central then state, but also by industry, trade, business and commerce. Have courses for it. I am sure you will have some success. “

Noting that plenty of perishable goods such as tomatoes were produced in India, he said institutions like TNAU must transform perishable goods into self-stable, high-quality products. We can multiply profitability.

India