Th. K P Singh
Direct transfer of Rs 6000 a year to the small famers in Budget 2019 has been widely hailed as remarkable welfare measure for the distressed farmers. It does supplement famers income, no matter marginally, of those who posses less than 5 acres of land. It is indeed a good news for small and marginal farmers because it will by and large get them out of local lenders clutches. Jammu farmers are no more landlords like Punjab, Haryana, UP or Bihar famers. They are small landowners as a result of various land reforms and tenancy acts undertaken by Sheikh Abdullah during his first and second rule. In addition the rise of population and continuous migration of people from Kashmir and Ladakh to Jammu, the agriculture land is turning into residential colonies. My own village is on the road Akhnoor – Sunderbani which is becoming a city with construction of new houses, business establishments, shops, dhabas, petrol pumps and service stations. Status of the land had been changing indiscriminately despite laws contrary to it. Thus shrinking the agriculture land. In the small holdings, 70 percent of crops are destroyed by unseasonal rains/droughts, floods, rodent and pest attacks. Besides climatic changes, destruction of forests, drying water bodies, migration of monkeys to human habitat are worrying the farming community in Jammu. If implemented judiciously and supported by other reforms, Kissan Saman Nidhi is expected to boost both income and production because the handy cash enables farmers buy farm inputs timely.
Despite pressure on land and farming, agriculture continues to be an important source of income and employment in Jammu region because of absence of industry. Being a mountainous state and very little land under cultivation, agriculture holdings are much lesser than national average. In Jammu division most of the agriculture activity takes place in hilly areas offering limited scope for agriculture income. While Kashmiri farmers produce costliest apple, saffron, walnut, almond, cherry and peer besides lotus stems and fish, Jammu farmer hardly has any such commodity to claim as its cash crop. Living in the same state and being deprived is unfair/unjust. State Government has not framed any pro Jammu farmers policy to modernize farming for more output from lesser land. One wonders why. Kashmiri farmers have been supplied free of cost American, Bulgarian etc apple plants, the Doda and Poonch farmers were not considered for such scheme. While Kashmiri farmer has turned rich and is still subsidized for any/every damage to the crop, Jammu farmer is poor and ignored. It is hoped that under new budget provisions, Jammu farmer will get some attention from the Governor, himself a farmer and his Advisors. In addition, Rs 10,000 interest free loan per acre for every crop should be given by the State Government to further ease their problems.
I see better prospects for fishery to raise income of small farmers. ‘Formation of Department of Fisheries’ has been announced in the budget. Jammu farmers can immensely benefit from this scheme. Jammu gets fish from Ranjit Sagar Dam. It becomes a costly food item because of distance and transportation costs. Fishery can be easily promoted by creating water ponds in common or grass cherai lands. By creating such water bodies, rain water, which otherwise goes waste, will be harnessed which will also recharge the ground water level. If the State Govt reforms its fisheries dept and concentrates on fish production, farmers and consumers can benefit immensely. But the point to note is that fish is a perishable item. Therefore fish production involves creation of storage and marketing facilities. Fish growth in Jammu deserves consideration and implementation soonest.
When Ch. Lal Singh, the founder Chairman of Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan (DSS), himself a farmer, formed a Kissan Cell, with me, a farmer of Kandi Area, as Chairmanship, it became clear that the Sangathan cares for the distressed farmers and is going to get them immense benefits, like those of the Valley, should the Sangathan form the next Government in J&K or be part of it. As forest minister, he had the traditional forest ponds rejuvenated which is appreciated by the farmers.
I have been meeting officials of Agriculture, Horticulture and Floriculture departments to see what are their plans for the welfare of farmers and how much effective they are as various schemes are being implemented. Progress on soil testing and crop insurance schemes has been slow in Jammu region. Availability of seeds and fertilizers is not yet farmer friendly due to bureaucratic systems. With this farm friendly budget, I hope that the farmers of Jammu area will demand their share of budgetary support for the growth of farm sector.
Other reforms and welfare measure required are; full digitization of the land records. So for whatever record of land a Patwari certifies is accepted as correct even in the courts. Patwari is the final authority and can do whatever he likes. A farmer is at his mercy all the times. Some farmers are cheated and deprived of their land holdings. Digitisation of cadastral maps exhibiting boundaries, market value, ownership or title of land should be expedited by employing an agency which has already undertaken such assignments in other state(s). It would prevent chances of manipulations, irregularities, corruption and frauds. Revenue departments across the country are neck deep in land scams and irregularities in the land records. In a recent case former chief minister of Haryana is facing trials for having sold farm land to builders by getting revenue records manipulated. Farmers in Jammu are keen that land records are properly maintained to prevent blatant frauds.
Agriculture is a state subject. As per recent surveys, given a chance 64 % of the farmers won’t like their children to adopt farming as profession. They would prefer any other occupation than farming. As per another survey carried out by ‘Centre for study of developing Societies’ has found that over 60 % farmers will like to migrate to cities where better education, health and employment avenues are available. Hence addressing farmers distress in J&K is absolutely necessary. Otherwise also farmers in Jammu are a significant vote bank. Since farmers are often used as vote bank, their vote power can give political power to DSS. DSS Vision Document at agenda point number 20 under the heading ‘Strengthening the Farmers’ states that Sangathan will strive to ensure a mechanism where the state will be responsible for the disposal of the crops, including horticulture, floriculture, apiculture, sericulture, pisciculture, dairy farming, poultry farming etc of the farmers at the profitable rates and the scope of the middleman exploiting this innocent community will be eradicated.
The Sangathan will ensure that the agriculture equipment and tools are made available to the farmers on subsidised rates. Besides the farmers will be given 50 % subsidy on the electricity bills incurred on farming’. DSS Chairman’s commitment to farmers cause is well intended. He is expected to act as catalyst to implement budget 2019 schemes in J&K. There is a need of ‘Commission for Farmers Welfare’ with mandate to create facilities and frame SOPs for implementation of Budget 2019. I therefore appeal farming community to support DSS and get their issues addressed as promised in the vision document.
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