Mentors Comments:
1. Discuss the need for DFI in India – with a picture of farm crisis at present
2. What are the goals of DFI – what areas it wants to target
3. What are the challenges
4. Suggest solutions
Answer:
Past strategy for development of the agriculture sector in India has focused primarily on raising agricultural output and improving food security. Moreover, India has witnessed a sharp increase in the number of farmers suicides due to losses from farming, shocks in farm income and low farm income. This can have an adverse effect on the future of agriculture in the country, leading to food insecurity.
Doubling farmers income by 2022 is quite challenging but it is needed and is attainable.
The broad Strategy for Improving Farmers Income is needed to double farmers income are as follows-
Improvement in agricultural output viz:
o Productivity – Area- agricultural output has to be increased through access to irrigation and technological advancement.
Resource use efficiency or saving in cost of production;
Increase in cropping intensity, i.e. the ratio of Net Area Sown to the Total Cropped Area – By raising short duration crops after the main kharif and after the main rabi season so that agricultural land does not remain unused for half of the productive period.
Diversification:
o Towards high value crops like fruits, vegetables, fiber, condiments & spices and sugarcane.
o Towards other allied enterprises like forestry, dairing rather than depending primarily on crop cultivation.
Shifting cultivators from farm to non-farm occupations – Non-farm sectors provide 2.76 times more productive employment than agriculture sector in rural areas
Improvement in terms of trade for farmers or real prices received by farmers- Use of CPIAL (Consumer price index for agricultural labour) as a deflator to change nominal farm income to real farm income.
Following are the constraints in the path of doubling the income of farmers are as follows as highlighted in Niti Aayog’s Inida @75 document-
1. Use of outdated and inappropriate technology is the main reason for low productivity of crops and livestock.
2. Given the pre-dominance of small and marginal farmers in Indian agriculture, affordability becomes a significant constraint on
technology adoption by farmers.
3. There exist several bottlenecks hampering on-farm adoption of technology developed in public sector.
4. Agricultural research in the country is constrained by resource inadequacy, regulations and intellectual property rights (IPR).
5. Multiple private and public sources supplying different information to farmers create confusion.
6. A huge gap exists between the demand for and supply of skills in agriculture, hindering diversification, adoption of precision agriculture and on farm post-harvest value addition.
7. India has not caught up to the rest of the world in terms of technology, which has led to the dominance of inefficient production practices, such as flood irrigation, at the farm level. Renewed focus on on-ground absorption of technology, market intelligence, skills and extension and modernising trade and commerce in agriculture are needed to modernise agriculture in India.
8. Both production and marketing suffer due to the absence of adequate capital.
9. Low scale is a serious constraint on the adoption of improved practices and in the input and output market.
10. Erratic rainfall and drought are the most important factors affecting farmers.
The Measures Taken by Indian Government in the recent past in this direction are as follows-
A) Institutional Reforms
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, Soil health card, and Prampragat Krishi Vikas Yojana- Aiming to raise output and reduce cost.
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana- To provide insurance against crop and income loss and to encourage investment in farming.
Interlinking of rivers – To raise output and farm incomes.
‘Operation Greens’ to address price volatility of perishable commodities like Tomato, Onion and Potato (TOP).
PM Kisan Sampada Yojana to promote food processing in a holistic manner.
B) Technological Reforms
Initiating E-NAM: The National Agriculture Market (eNAM) is a pan-India electronic trading portal which networks the existing APMC mandis to create a unified national market for agricultural commodities.
Various Technology mission like Technology mission on cotton, Technology Mission on Oilseeds, Pulses and Maize etc.
C) Various initiatives like National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture, NICRA etc to make the agriculture sector more climate resilient.
D) Schemes for Agricultural diversification
To secure future of agriculture and to improve livelihood of half of India's population, adequate attention needs to be given to improve the welfare of farmers and raise agricultural income. It is essential to mobilize States and UTs to own and achieve the goal of doubling farmers’; income with active focus on capacity building (technology adoption and awareness) of farmers that will be the catalyst to boost farmers income.
MOJO9803C00N96073071
Well attempted.
The structure of the answer is decent.
The points are exhaustive and its good that you used flowcharts.
language is short and simple.
Your handwriting is good but try to make it clearer.
Solutions and way forwards are same thing so do not use two separate sub headings.
Its good that you mentioned all those recommendations from various committees.
Payment ID: MOJO9802W00A98715356
Please review.
Hi Sahithya
Avoid large paragraphs.
Points are decent but do not over explain your points.
Just a couple of sentences for each points are ok. Not more than that. That is called keeping the language and points short and crisp.
You have decent language and hand writing.
Use it to your advantage by curtailing the length of your explanations.
Pls review
A better structure of the answer would be to discuss the challenges in doubling of farmers’s income through flowcharts.
Then discuss the steps taken by the government and then through another sub heading mentioning what more needs to be done.
That is a better structure because through this you will be able to discuss the issue in depth. This issue is very wide and needs lots of points. Hence measures lie flowcharts will work.
The answer has good content but due to the structure, you were not able to go in deep.
Presentation and language are decent.
Payment ID: MOJO9731Y00N34245077
In depth answer.
Coverage is excellent.
Points are well placed.
Good flow of the structure.
All the parts are answered in holistic manner.
Keep writing like this.
MOJO9803R00N96087322
Q2
Hi Megha
Lengthy answer.
You focused a lot on ZBNF.
The demand of the answer was simple:
1. Discuss the need for DFI in India – with a picture of farm crisis at present
2. What are the goals of DFI – what areas it wants to target
3. What are the challenges
4. Suggest solutions
Just follow the mentors comments to pursue your answers.
ZBNF is a good point but its one of many points and hence you need to discuss more elements in the answer.
read the model answer.
You have good presentation skills.
q2
MOJO9731E00D34250209
Lengthy intro.
Rest of the answer is fine.
Well tried.
Points are exhaustive and well placed.
Explanation short and crisp.
This is lengthy topic hence try to use flowcharts to discuss the 1st part of the answer.
Good 2nd part.
MOJO9731700N34221916
Good intro.
Decent use of flowchart in 1st part though it could be made more clear.
Before mentioning the way forward, briefly mention what are the steps taken by the GoI in this regard.
Good way forwards.
Coverage is comprehensive.
Q2
Good intro.
No point of discussing the goals of DFI when you have discussed the need for DFI.
Instead use that space to discuss various steps taken by the GoI for DFI.
Good way forwards and 2nd part.
Try to make your flowcharts more readable.
Points are decent.
MOJO9801U00N04106675, Please Review My Answer.
Lengthy answer.
Try not to over explain your points.
The answer has good structure but language needs editing.
Points are comprehensive.
The way forward are good.
MOJO9801A00D04078686
Decent try.
Mention the steps taken by the GoI for DFI.
Structure is good.
Read the model answer for more points.
Q2
No point in using a diagram when you are going to explain the content of it separately. That diagram will take space and time. So avoid it. I am talking about the discussion regarding roadblocks.
Apart from that, very good answer.
Points are apt and well placed.