The economy of Assam is mainly agrarian with agriculture and allied activities contributing about 20 per cent to the state’s net domestic product and providing livelihood support to about 75 per cent of the population of the region.
The agriculture sector in Assam is characterized by small landholding farmers. They can be largely categorized as small or marginal farmers. Their income from cultivation of their land is generally not high and a large section could be living at subsistence level. To compound their problems, the youth at home are no longer interested in farming, soiling their hands and feet. Hence they move to urban centers in search of livelihood. The aging farmer, therefore, has little help at hand for cultivation.
In this context, mechanization of the farming sector in Assam needs to be seriously considered. This would, perhaps, encourage the youth to get involved in working in their agriculture fields. However, most of the farming machineries and equipment are designed for use in larger farms and their cost is not within the reach of most farmers.
The government has been extending a helping hand through free distribution of tractors, tillers etc. But they reach a paltry section. Some enterprising youth have taken the initiative to rent out such equipment to farmers, a very good initiative indeed. However, sometimes the price of the service provided, based on the investment for procurement of the machinery/equipment, is again uneconomical for a large section of small/marginal farmers.
Under this scenario, it would be worthwhile to consider designing and manufacture of smaller equipment like ploughs/tillers, seed/sapling planters, de-weeding, harvesters, thrashers, fruit/vegetable pickers etc.; more suited to the requirement of small farms in the plains and hilly areas/states. One of the main criteria should be the cost factor. Hence, the designing of the machinery/equipment should start from a clean slate (the approach adopted in case of developing the Nano car) and not tweaked from the design of existing larger models.
It is essential to reduce the cost and labor burdens on the small farmers through mechanization and at the same time increases their farm productivity. From the standpoint of lower operational cost, a dual fuel machine/equipment, with solar energy as primary fuel and diesel as secondary fuel would be ideally suited. When sunshine is available, the fuel cost would drop to nil and would also be environmentally more conducive. The Government may consider providing appropriate incentive during the nascent transition period to mechanized farming.
It would also be worthwhile if a study is commissioned by the Agriculture Department of Assam across the North Eastern States and neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Nepal to identify mechanization requirements of farmers. While this would broaden the scope of developing such equipment, it will also give economies of scale to make manufacturing such equipment/machineries viable.
Assam Start-up (IIM Calcutta Innovation Park) may consider taking up innovation in the above segment and encourage Start-ups to consider working in this area. Perhaps, some of the better functioning ITIs, Engineering Colleges in the state may also be tasked with development of such specific equipment / machineries.
Expected benefits:
Development, production and thereafter use of these low-cost smaller farming machineries and equipment would result in cascading beneficial impacts in:
1.Improved productivity and higher earning to the farmer;
2. With mechanization of farming activities, there would be a greater possibility that the youth would be willing to stay back and work in the agriculture farms at home;
3. Manufacturing and servicing of these mechanical equipment would spawn employment opportunities;
4. With Government’s support in
a. establishing the necessary facilities through the digital platform (like the one established by ITC in its e-choupal initiative) to arm the farmer with data on prices of their produce prevailing in nearby wholesale and retail markets, the farmers would be better equipped to bargain for better prices for their produce; The same network could also be utilized to provide vital inputs on area specific weather forecast; crucial inputs and training on improved agricultural practices etc. Technology infusion would provide the additional impetus to the youth to get associated in farming;
b. establishing cold chains in future (quite likely with additional natural gas coming into the region with the extension of the National Natural Gas Pipeline Network), wastage of farm produce is expected to reduce with consequent improvement in the earnings of the farmer;
c. improvement in communication facilities between rural and urban Assam would receive a further fillip, thereby improving access to the major markets;
5. With the enterprising and energetic youth staying back in villages, the prospects of value addition to farm produce nearer the farm gate would also improve, thereby further improving the financial status of the farming community. Since the small and marginal farmers form a section that is known as the Bottom of the Pyramid, this is exactly what needs to be aimed at, viz. bringing this section out of poverty or subsistence level;
6. Development spreading to the rural areas is what needs to focused upon. Today, too much is centered in or near Guwahati city and the major towns. Consequently, the rather humble infrastructure in Guwahati and the major towns have become grossly inadequate to cater to a growing populace, much to the discomfiture of its inhabitants. Hence, if the migration of youth to the urban centres could be somewhat arrested /reduced, it would be a major achievement.
Moreover, with the vocal youth staying back in villages, they would, in all probability, push the Govt. to improve the Health Care delivery services, provide clean piped water facilities, steady and sustained electric power supply and improved school and college education delivery etc. This would be greatly desirable.
7. The greatest benefit would be that the expectation of the farmers would most likely change from wanting doles to “be taught to fish rather than be given fish” i.e. equip the people to earn an honest livelihood and live with dignity rather than turning them into glorified beggars, dependent on doles from the Government.
(The author is the former Executive Director of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. The views expressed in the article are his own.)
