नागपूर बीजोत्सव, दि. १९, २०, २१ फरवरी २०१६

(आॅनलाईन : http://nagpur.beejotsav.in/ )

> रासायनिक खेती आैर जी.एम. बीज के जमाने मे नागपूर के अनंत भोयर शुद्ध आैर जहर से मुक्त अनाज का संकल्प कर जैविक खेती की साधना कर रहे हैं|

> मिलावटी खाद्यतेल के बाजार में नागपूर के हर्षल अवचट आज भी एक्स्पेलर की सहायता से ग्राहकों को शुद्ध तेल देने के प्रयास में लगे हैं|

> ९०% से अधिक क्षेत्र में बी.टी. कपास उगाने वाले अपने देश मे अकोला का एक किसान समूह जैविक पद्धती से देसी कपास की उपज में लगा है|

> संपत्ती का केंद्रीकरण आैर जहरीले रसायनों के उपयोग को बढावा देने वाले कारखानों से निकले कपडे की जरूरत ना पडे इसलिए वर्धा की संस्था 'ग्राम सेवा मंडल' चरखा, आैर हथकरघा को जीवित रखते हुए खादी का उत्पादन कर रही है|

> खेती छोडकर शहर में नोकरी पाना अधिक सम्मानजनक समझने वाले इस समय में नागपूर की प्राची माहूरकर अपनी शहर की नोकरी छोड खेती करने में जुटी हैं|

> शाॅपिंग सेंटर आैर इंटरनेट से खरीददारी करने की दुनिया में कुछ ग्राहक सीधे किसानों से जुडकर उनसे अपनी अनाज की जरूरत पूरी करने के प्रयास में हैं|

शोषणमुक्त खेती आैर विषमुक्त अनाज की निर्मिती के लिए पूरक नीति बने इसलिये इस तरह के अनेक किसान आैर ग्राहक एक होकर आंदोलन खडा करने के प्रयास में लगे हैं|

क्या इस कार्य में इन लोगों का प्रयास पर्याप्त होगा? क्या अपना अनाज विषमुक्त हो पाएगा?

क्या किसानों का शोषण कम हो पाएगा?

यह बहुत बडे सवाल हैं| शायद एक आम आदमी होने के नाते हमारे दायरे से बाहर हैं| लेकिन एक चीज है जो जरूर हमारे बस मे है| आैर वह है, इन लोगों से मिलना| इन के अनुभवों को समझना| अगर आप ग्राहक हैं, तो अपने जरूरत के लिए इनके उगाये अनाज को खरीदना, संपर्क में रहकर भविष्य में यह व्यवहार जारी रखना| अगर आप किसान हैं, तो जैविक अनाज का महत्त्व जानने वाले ग्राहकों से मिलना, उनसे संबंध बढाना| आैर अगर कार्यकर्ता हैं, तो शाश्वत खेती आैर विषमुक्त अन्न के इस काम मे अपनी भूमिका को समझना, अतः किस स्तर पर इस काम में सहायभूत हो सकते हैं यह जानकर तदनुसार अपनी संस्था या समुह के काम को
आगे बढाने की योजना बनाना| तीन दिन के लिए गपशप, एक-दुसरों को जानना, एक साथ गाना या सुनना, जैविक भोज का आस्वाद लेना आैर इस आनंदोत्सव मे शामील होना|

पिछले तीन सालों से शाश्वत खेती आैर शुद्ध अन्न के कार्य में निष्ठा रखने वाले हम सब इस साल पुनः 'बीजोत्सव' के निमित्त से नागपूर में सम्मीलित होंगे| इसी जगह देसी बीज, जैविक खेती उत्पाद की प्रदर्शनी एवं बिक्री, आैर शोषणमुक्त अन्न उत्पाद व्यवस्था के निर्माण संबंधी जानकारीस्वरूप प्रदर्शनी खुली रहेगी|

हम खुद आैर अपने परिवार को शुद्ध अन्न मिले, अतः अपने लिये अनाज उगाने वाले किसान को सम्मानजनक उपजिविका मिले इस खातीर विषमुक्त अन्न आैर शाश्वत खेती के इस सफर मे जरूर शामील हो जाइये|

नागपूर बीजोत्सव, २०१६

दि. १९, २०, २१ फरवरी २०१६

सर्वोदय आश्रम (विनोबा विचार केंद्र), बोले पेट्रोल पंप के पास, अमरावती रोड, नागपूर.

अधिक जानकारी के लिए संपर्क : 
निखील लांजेवार – ९३७२४७५०२५, आकाश नवघरे - ९७६६९१२७४५, 
किर्ती मंग्रुळकर – ९५५२५५६४६५, रुपींदर नंदा - ९८६०७३१६६६,
प्राची माहूरकर – ९८२३६१२४६८, अनंत भोयर – ९०४९६४१४७४.

NEWS: ‘No farmer practising natural farming has ended life’

Ramu Bhagwat | Jan 31, 2016, 03.01 AM IST
Times Of India

Nagpur: "I feel sad farmers continue to commit suicide in Maharashtra," saidSubhash Palekar who was named in the Padma Shri award list for his contribution to natural farming. He is extremely angry that not one Maharashtra chief minister in the last three decades has consulted him despite being aware that not a single farmer who practised his technique has committed suicide. For 25 days a month, he travels around the country giving his free service to farmers teaching no-cost, natural farming. Today, 40 lakh farmers across India are using his methods.

Palekar hails from Belora village in Amravati district of Vidarbha. Ironically, the region where he developed his Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) technique continues to reel under the farmer suicide crisis. Years of government support to farmers has failed to bring the agrarian distress in this cotton belt under control.

"In stark contrast, Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu is very proactive. He congratulated me on getting the award. Naidu has given me a commitment that his new state (Telangana) would ensure that every farmer adopted the ZBNF method. I have conducted workshops and seminars for 1,200 agriculture officers of AP," said Palekar from Kakinada where he was camping on Friday.

The 65-year-old agriculturist found through research between 1988 and 2000 that the use of chemical fertilizers and poisonous insecticides initially increase yields. But, it went on to damage the soil and the food produced caused all diseases. "The Green Revolution did more harm to the country than good. Ever-growing cost of modern chemical farming has broken backs of farmers crushing them under debt burden. It has killed the soil's soul," says Palekar.

Palekar un-learned what he was taught for his degree in agriculture. He went back to ancient methods rediscovering magical qualities of cow dung, cow urine and Neem leaves — all resources available at the farm that can be used for sustainable agriculture. Through this he wants to end the exploitative system in which farmer has to visit cities for all his needs, be it agriculture inputs, education, medicine or even courts.

Excerpts from an interview...

Q. Do you feel your efforts have been recognized?

A. The Padma Shri came as a surprise. I know no one in Delhi and never expected it. For last three decades all I have done is to tell farmers to go back to nature to save themselves. Today, 40 lakh farmers across the country use the ZBNF method that uses easily accessible resources for successful cultivation of all crops. They are free from high-cost, toxic chemicals that have ruined soil ever since Green Revolution was ushered in.

Q. Having got your degree from an agriculture university, was it not retrograde to go back to cow dung and urine?

A. Far from it, today even vice-chancellors and agriculture scientists admit that they have been led the wrong way. They are helpless and unable to fight the established system and directions of Indian Council of Agriculture Research that forces them to spread capital intensive chemical farming polluting soil, air, water and harming human health.

Q. Farming has become non-remunerative and cause of distress. Is there any hope?

A. The good news is that there is a new generation taking to farming in these times of global recession. Software engineers hived off jobs are looking to work in villages. They understand the costs and health implications of chemical farming. This new generation is my hope. They are learning virtues of natural farming.

Q. Your native land of Vidarbha is yet to find respite from distress?

A. That does make me sad. But I blame the state government for this. Successive governments have failed to make any effort to wean farmers away from high-cost chemical fertilizers. No chief minister of this state has ever sought my help. Individually, farmers and their groups invite me for seminars and workshops. Not one farmer who switched over to natural farming has committed suicide. My books in Marathi are translated into all South Indian languages and used in those states to learn how to prepare 'jeevamrut' (a concoction of cow urine, dung, jaggery, green-gram flour) that is sprinkled in farms to revive soil nutrients.

Q. Should farmers solely depend on the government support and relief all the time?

A. Absolutely not. This dependence on doles is dangerous. Farmers should go back to ancient system where only resources available within the village are used — be it seed, natural fertilizer and own funds without taking loans at high interest. I have demonstrated it through my work in last three decades. The 'model farms' we have set up show farmers can be self-reliant without external support. I am not alone in this natural farming movement. Some 10,000 farmers are spreading the message. It is a voluntary work. We have not formed an NGO and do not raise funds to run the movement.

Q. How do you distinguish ZBNF from organic farming that also seems to be in vogue?

A. Organic farming with its specified ingredients and processes is a very costly affair that our poor farmers cannot sustain. Our methods of natural farming are totally cost effective and more useful. Farmers use only what is available and within reach without going to cities. One cow is enough to produce 'jeevamrut' for 30 acres.

SOURCE : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/No-farmer-practising-natural-farming-has-ended-life/articleshow/50789441.cms

नागपूर बीजोत्सव, २०१६ (दि. १९, २०, २१ फेब्रुवारी )

(आॅनलाईन नोंदणीसाठी पत्ता : http://nagpur.beejotsav.in/ )

रासायनिक शेती आणि जी. एम. बियाण्यांच्या काळात नागपूरचे अनंत भोयर शुद्ध, विषमुक्त अन्नाचा संकल्प करून सेंद्रीय शेती करत आहेत.

भेसळयुक्त तेलाच्या बाजारात नागपूरचे हर्षल अवचट अजूनही एक्स्पेलर यंत्राच्या सहाय्याने तेल गाळून शुद्ध तेल देत आहेत.
९०% हून अधिक क्षेत्रफळात बी.टी. कापूस घेणाऱ्या आपल्या देशात अकोल्याचा एक शेतकरी गट सेंद्रीय पद्धतीने देशी कापसाची लागवड करत आहे.

संपत्तीचे केंद्रीकरण आणि विषारी रसायनांचा भडिमार करणाऱ्या मोठमोठ्या कारखान्यांतील कापड नको म्हणून वर्ध्याचे 'ग्राम सेवा मंडळ' चरखे आणि हातमाग जिवंत ठेवून खादी बनवत आहे.

शेती सोडून शहरात नोकरी शोधणे अधिक बरे अशी धारणा बनलेल्या काळात नागपूरच्या प्राची माहूरकर शहरातली नोकरी सोडून शेती करत आहेत.

माॅल आणि इंटरनेटवरून खरेदी करणाऱ्या जगात काहीजण थेट शेतकऱ्यांशी जोडून घेऊन त्यांच्याकडूनच आपल्या शेतमालाच्या गरजा पूर्ण करण्याच्या प्रयत्नात आहेत.

शोषणमुक्त शेती आणि विषमुक्त अन्नाच्या निर्मितीला पूरक धोरणे बनावी यासाठी यांच्यासारखे शेतकरी आणि ग्राहक एकत्र येऊन चळवळ उभी करू पाहत आहेत.

ही चळवळ उभी करायला हे लोक पुरे पडतील का? आपले अन्न विषमुक्त होईल का? शेतकऱ्यांची पिळवणूक संपेल का?
हे प्रश्न खूप मोठे आहेत. कदाचित एक व्यक्ती म्हणून आपल्या आवाक्याबाहेरचे. त्याची चिंता आपण करू नये. पण एक गोष्ट मात्र आपण सहज करू शकतो. ते म्हणजे यांना भेटणे. त्यांचे अनुभव जाणून घेणे. आपण ग्राहक असलो तर जमल्यास हे शेतकरी अत्यंत मेहनतीने आणि निष्ठेने उत्पादित करत असलेले अन्न विकत घेणे, ते पुन्हा मिळविण्यासाठी त्या शेतकऱ्यांशी संपर्क ठेवणे. आपण शेतकरी असलो तर सेंद्रीय अन्नाचे महत्त्व जाणणाऱ्या ग्राहकांना भेटणे, त्यांच्याशी संपर्क वाढवणे; आणि कार्यकर्ते असलो तर या साऱ्या प्रवासात आपली भूमिका काय असेल हे समजून घेणे, आणि कुठल्या पातळीवर मदत करू शकू हे पाहून त्यानुसार आपली किंवा चळवळीच्या कामाचे नियोजन आखने. तीन दिवस गप्पा मारणे, एकमेकांना समजून घेणे, एकत्र येऊन गाणी म्हणणे किंवा एेकणे, सेंद्रीय अन्नाचा आस्वाद घेणे आणि या आनंदोत्सवात सर्व प्रकारे सामील होणे.
मागच्या तीन वर्षांप्रमाणे शुद्ध अन्न आणि शाश्वत शेतीविषयी निष्ठा बाळगणारे आपण सर्वजण यावर्षी पुन्हा 'बीजोत्सवा'च्या निमित्ताने नागपूरात जमत आहोत. याच ठिकाणी देशी बियाणे व सेंद्रीय शेतमाल याची विक्री, आणि शोषणमुक्त अन्नव्यवस्था निर्मितीसंबंधी माहितीपर प्रदर्शनही राहील.

आपल्या स्वतःला, आपल्या मुलांना, कुटुंबियांना शुद्ध अन्न मिळावे यासाठी, ते पिकविणाऱ्या शेतकऱ्यांसोबत या प्रवासात जरूर सामील व्हा!

क्रांती घडवायची नसते, ती जगायची असते!

नागपूर बीजोत्सव, २०१६
दि. १९, २०, २१ फेब्रुवारी २०१६

सर्वोदय आश्रम (विनोबा विचार केंद्र), बोले पेट्रोल पंपाजवळ, अमरावती रोड, नागपूर.

अधिक माहितीसाठी संपर्क :
निखील लांजेवार – ९३७२४७५०२५, आकाश नवघरे - ९७६६९१२७४५,
किर्ती मंग्रुळकर – ९५५२५५६४६५, रुपींदर नंदा - ९८६०७३१६६६, 
प्राची माहूरकर – ९८२३६१२४६८, अनंत भोयर – ९०४९६४१४७४.

31 January Organic Sunday in Bandra (Mumbai)

Bring your carry bags for yet another goodness filled ORGANIC SUNDAY www.farmersmarket.co.in

EVENT : Nagpur Seed Festival, 2016 (19, 20, 21 Feb)

• In the times of chemical farming and G.M. seeds, Mr. Anant Bhoyar from Nagpur is practicing organic farmin...g with determination of producing poison-less food.

• Mr. Harshil Awchat of Nagpur is trying to provide pure edible oil with the help of expeller technology, while most of the market is full of adulterated oil.

• A group of farmers in Akola is producing indigenous cotton when more than 90% of the area under cotton in our country is B.T. Cotton.

• Gram Sewa Mandal in Wardha is producing Khadi by keeping alive the Charkhas and handlooms, so that we won't have to surrender the cloth market to the fabric factories which are centralizing wealth and polluting environment with hazardous chemicals.

• At the times when people are finding more respectful and comfortable to leave villages and and find a job in cities, a software professional from Nagpur, Prachi Mahurkar, has left her job and started farming.

• When most people prefer to shop on-line and from supermarkets, there are some people who wants to develop direct relationships with farmers and fulfill their agri-produce needs directly from farmers.

• People like these, farmers, consumers, activists are trying to come together and build a movement to pursue on policies that are encouraging to the development of exploitation free agriculture and the production of poison-less food.

 Will these efforts prove to be sufficient enough to build this movement? Will our food be poison-free some day? Will the exploitation of farmers stop some day?

 These are bigger questions. May be beyond our reach as a common person. But we do not have to worry about them. But one thing we will definitely be able to do. That is to meet these people, to understand their experiences. If we are consumer, we can buy food from them if possible, keep in touch with them and keep buying from them. If we are farmers, we can meet the consumers who are enthusiastic about organic food, build relationships with them. If we are activists, we can try to meet these different people and try to understand our role in this process, figure out where we can be helpful. For three days, we can chit-chat, try to understand each other, sing, dance, enjoy the organic food and be the part of this celebration of healthy food and sustainable farming.

 We will be gathering again for 'Seed Festival' in Nagpur, which has been taking place here since last three years. At this same place we will have the exhibition and sale of indigenous seeds, organic agriculture produce and also the informative exhibit on related issues.

 Join us in this journey, for poison-free food in our plates, for our kids, for the farmers who are producing food for us!

Revolution is not something you can have, revolution is something you live!

From 19 February 4.00 P.M. to 21 February

at Sarvoday Ashram (Vinoba Vichar Kendra), Near Bole Petrol Pump, Amravati Road, Nagpur.

to register online > http://nagpur.beejotsav.in

For more information :
Nikhil Lanjewar +91 9372475025, Akash Naoghare +91 9766912745,
Kirti Mangrulakar +91 9552556465, Rupinder Nanda +91 9860731666,
Prachi Mahurkar +91 9823612468, Anant Bhoyar +91 9049641474

Buy from Organic Farmers' Market 30 Jan 2016 at New Delhi

NEWS : Centre tells Delhi high court Bt cotton’s resistance to pests has waned

Government’s response came in a dispute over an order to regulate cotton seed prices and fix royalties

Last Modified: Fri, Jan 29 2016. 12 51 AM IST
Sayantan Bera | Shreeja Sen

New Delhi: The efficacy of genetically modified Bt cotton in resisting pest attacks has declined over the years, the central government told the Delhi high court. As a result, royalties charged by a technology giant like Monsanto must also come down, it argued.

The government’s response came in a dispute over an order to regulate cotton seed prices and fix royalties. The order is being challenged by Mahyco Monsanto Biotech India Pvt. Ltd (MMBL), a joint venture between Mahyco and Monsanto.

The company petitioned the high court to quash certain provisions in the price control order, specifically those allowing the centre to determine trait or royalty fees.

“Pink bollworm, a major pest to the cotton crop, has already developed resistance in the last 2-3 years; farmers are a worried lot having sown Bt cotton seeds purchased at high price,” the government said in an affidavit.

It added, “The crop is getting damaged due to pink bollworm incidence. It is a natural phenomenon that over the years efficacy of the technology goes down, hence the royalty on technology should also be reduced.”

The centre’s affidavit, filed on 23 January, added that Bt cotton seeds are now unaffordable to farmers due to high royalties charged by MMBL which has a near monopoly on Bt cotton seeds and that this has led to a market failure.

“The regulation of Bt cotton seed prices under such situation cannot be meaningful if the trait value or licence fee or royalty is not regulated,” it added.

Around 8 million farmers grow cotton in India and Bt cotton technology supplied by MMBL makes up over 90% of the seed market.

The case arises from a price control order issued by the agriculture ministry on 7 December 2015 to make Bt cotton seed prices affordable to farmers and bring uniformity in prices.

MMBL, which licences its patented Bollgard II technology to 49 seed companies in India, said in its petition that the price control order is “illegal and unconstitutional”.

An MMBL spokesperson said the “court has permitted MMBL to file its response to the Union of India’s counter affidavit. The matter being sub judice, it would be improper to comment at this point of time”.

The Delhi high court on Wednesday said the case will be heard next on 4 March.

The government argues that its power to pass orders under the Essential Commodities Act (1955) overrides existing laws, including the Patents Act 1970. This, the government said, justifies its move to regulate royalty fees charged by patent holders like MMBL.

MMBL charges trait fees of Rs.163 and Rs.175 for Bt cotton seed packets (450 grams) that are sold to farmers (by different seed companies) at Rs.930 and Rs.1100, respectively.

On Wednesday, the agriculture ministry constituted a price control committee that will recommend the maximum sale price of Bt cotton, including royalty fees paid by seed companies to technology providers like MMBL.

The committee, according to the government order reviewed by Mint, will also suggest the format of all licensing agreements for genetically modified technology.

In support of the government’s price control order, executive director of industry lobby group National Seeds Association of India (NSAI), Kalyan Goswami said that the central order was a good move that will help all stakeholders including farmers.

“The balanced regulation might leave enough margins for the seed companies to invest in R&D and infrastructure development compared to the situation till 2015 wherein some of the cotton seed companies have even become bankrupt,” he said.

Goswami also called for reforms in the intellectual property regime for essential commodities like cotton seed.

“NSAI...believes that all GM traits and the IPR (intellectual property rights) related to them must be declared as standard essential patents (SEP) and only if the technology proponents accept this kind of governance, new GM traits may be approved in our country,” he added.

A patent is declared an SEP when the technology becomes the industry standard (like in smart phones).

Sayantan BeraShreeja Sen

EVENT : Malnad Mela 2016 in Bengaluru – January 30th – 31st, 2016

 Published 14/01/2016 

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January 30th – 31st, 2015 (Saturday & Sunday) 11:00 am to 6 pm

Golden Bead School
157, Rathna Avenue (off Richmond Rd)
Bengaluru : 560025
(lane adjacent to Action Aid towards Trinity Circle)

 

Contact:

Vivek Joshi +91 94802 6516

Email

Event website

Malnad Mela

Back to the Future of Food
Into our 16th year of sisterhood and saving seeds—we are celebrating traditional tubers and youth gardens at this year’s special Malnad Mela. We have several tasty surprises for you and many Malnad delights you expect from us; organic open pollinated seeds, delicious natural foods and a selection of non-foods. More than 50 products in total and our partners are bringing a whole lot more.
Experience
Continuing with the free flowing, organic spirit and soul of Vanastree—at Malnad Mela 2016 we will explore seeds through craft, tubers with our taste buds and soil using our hands. Stay tuned on Facebook over the next few weeks for more information about these experiential events.

‘Like’ us on our Vanastree Facebook Page to keep up with information about the mela and to read more about the new events.

Please pass this along to all you know who may be interested, and see you at the mela!

-The Women of Vanastree
 

विषय: पुण्यात पाळेकरांसोबत एक अति महत्वपूर्ण बैठक

 

कृषी-ऋषी श्री सुभाष पाळेकर गुरुजींची पुण्यात राहणाऱ्या आणि झिरो बजेट नैसर्गिक शेती जन आंदोलनाच्या कार्यात ज्या कोणाला ह्या सहभाग घ्यावयाचा आहे अश्या सर्वासाठी एक अति महत्वपूर्ण बैठक आयोजित केली आहे. सहभाग हा कोणत्याही स्वरूपाचा असू शकतो जो तुम्हाला शक्य असेल तो, अधिक माहिती गुरुजीं बैठकीत सांगतील.

 

तेव्हा सर्वांनी आवर्जून रविवार ७ फेब्रुवारी, दुपारी १:३० वा. पुण्यधाम आश्रम, खडी मशीन चौक, कोंढवा (बु). येथे यावे ही विनंती. बैठक अंदाजे संध्या ६ वा. पर्यंत चालेल. 

 

नकाशा: https://www.google.co.in/maps/@18.4595477,73.8992775,17z?hl=mr

 

विशेषता माहिती तंत्रज्ञान क्षेत्रात काम करणार्यांनी आवर्जून यावे असे आग्रहाचे आवाहन पाळेकरांनी केले आहे. ज्यांना मराठी येत नसेल त्यांनी सुद्धा यावे, त्यांच्याशी हिंदी/इंग्रजी मधे संवाद साधल्या जाईल किंवा जास्त संख्या असेल तर बैठक हिंदी/इंग्रजी होवू शकते.

 

आपल्याला जर काही कारणास्तव हया बैठकीला येऊ शकता आले नाही, पण काम करण्याची इच्छा आहे अशांनी कृपया नंतर दीपकशी (९८५०४३००८५ deepakkumars@yahoo.com) किंवा मिलिंदशी (९८९०६६४३२१) संपर्क करावा. 

तुमच्या संपर्कातील लोकांना हा संदेश कळवा. 

 

भेटू या !

 

-मिलिंद / दीपक

Subject : Very important personal meeting with Krishi-Rishi Padmashri Shri. Subhash Palekar sir at Pune on Sunday, 7 Feb 2016.

 

ALL those who are willing to contribute for Public movement of Zero Budget Natural Farming are invited for very important meeting with Padmashri Subhash Palekar sir in Pune.

Your contribution can be of any form whatever is possible for you, sir will discuss more on that in meeting. This will help you to find yourself how you can join, contribute and be a part of this movement for all. Especially those who are working in IT and Technology area and willing to contribute should not miss this.

Based on participants Guruji will communicate in Marathi, Hindi or English.

 

Venue :  Punyadhyam Ashram, Khadi Machine Chowk, Kondhawa, PUNE.

               1.5 km from Khadi Machine Chowk.

Map: https://www.google.co.in/maps/@18.4595477,73.8992775,17z?hl=mr

Day/Time : Sunday, 7 Feb 2016 , 1:30 pm to 6pm (Please be in time.)

Contact : 9890664321 / 9850430085 , deepakkumars@yahoo.com

 

Please spread this message in your social contacts.

 

Regards

Back To Nature Group &

ZBNF Movement Pune.

अन्न सुरक्षा : शुध्द बीजापोटी

NEWS: Ghosts Of Ship-To-Mouth

Price spikes, production fluctuations challenge us, not insufficient food production

Written by Ajay Vir Jakhar | Published:January 28, 2016 12:00 am 
       
Having inherited an unsustainable farm economy, made worse by bad monsoons and low international commodity prices, the government is struggling to show progress in the face of farmer suicides. To its credit, the government is consulting farmers for the preparation of a budget that not only addresses their concerns but also appears to do so.

In the recent pre-budget consultations on agriculture attended by the finance minister, the head of a multinational commodity trading house suggested that “international commodity prices are low and so it is time to import food to build stocks for food security”. I was aghast not just by his statement but also at his presence at the meeting. A desperate commodity firm looking for foolish nations to accept subsidised food for which there are no buyers today. Cheap imports artificially drive down commodity prices, leading farmers into a cycle of perpetual poverty and, as a result, rural-urban migrations.

First, the conversation on the farm sector needs to radically shift from focusing on fears of insufficient production to issues of nutrition and safety. The ghosts of decades of food shortages, “ship-to-mouth” horrors and Lal Bahadur Shastri’s appeal for skipping a meal continue to haunt us. Technology input companies and commodity firms are scaremongering us into a narrow tunnel of fear. But for long, India has moved on to greener pastures. Outdated fears are being reinforced by allegedly insurmountable new challenges posed by population growth, changing dietary patterns and climate change inhibiting food production. Even after taking into account these underlying anxieties, we farmers, on the contrary, feel India has entered an era of marketable surpluses — but there are no buyers for our produce. The challenges India faces are price spikes and production fluctuations, not insufficient production. Onions and pulses, etc, augment the anxiety, but these are the consequences of lopsided farm support programmes and detached policymaking.

Why am I sticking my neck out in the face of widespread pessimism? For one, we farmers are an optimistic lot. Second, as a farmer, I recognise our potential. Consider an example of plenty from my own farm, where an acre can yield approximately two trucks of onions, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots or citrus fruit. If just one village (about 3,000 acres) cultivated the same crop — god forbid, but let’s assume this for the sake of analysis — it could produce 6,000 trucks of a particular crop. There are over six lakh villages in India. Not all are bestowed with the same bounty of circumstances, but just imagine the possibilities.

India is already among the largest producers of foodgrain, pulses, sugarcane, tea, spices, eggs, meat, fruit and vegetables in the world. These milestones have been reached even though we lag behind in crop yields. Investments in research for better farm technology and applications hold endless opportunities for yield improvement. Additionally, there is a difference in yields within villages, as well as between a research centre and even the best farm. These differences can be bridged by improved extension services. Other than research-induced increases, productivity can be enhanced by a quarter across the spectrum without adding extra inputs (and with fewer seeds) if we simply upgrade sowing machinery. While farmer-ownership of machinery will lead to debt, service leasing will lead to prosperity. Merely defining objectives is half the work done; the fine print holds the key to achieve the objectives.

India is the largest milk producer in the world, but cooperatives are collapsing because of just the interest burden of unsold stocks and competition from cheap, imported, subsidised and substandard milk products. Milk production in the country will rise by a third if a preventive health programme of the National Dairy Development Board could be standardised countrywide. Better handling of food, right from the time it is harvested till it reaches the table, would reduce wastages and make an extra 15 per cent of produce available for consumption.

Farmers’ biggest concern isn’t insufficient production. In irrigated areas, farmers worry about markets and, in rain-fed areas, they worry about water availability. Only time will tell if the consultations are seeking to validate existing ideas or if they accept the new rationale.
 

The writer is chairman, Bharat Krishak Samaj

 

SOURCE: http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/ghosts-of-ship-to-mouth/ 

NEWS: Anti-GM groups question NITI Aayog's pro-transgenic crops paper

Vishwa Mohan | TNN | Jan 28, 2016, 08.42PM IST

NEW DELHI: Government may be treading cautiously over the controversial issue of genetically modified (GM) technology, but its think-tank NITI Aayog has recently come out with a paper highlighting the benefit of the transgenic technology and its effectiveness in increasing agricultural productivity. It also noted that the anti-GM propaganda discouraged students and researchers to opt for biotechnology.

 

Though the think-tank put a disclaimer saying the paper does not represent the views of either the government or the NITI Aayog, anti-GM groups on Thursday wrote to the Aayog's vice-chairperson Aravind Panagariya expressing their strong opposition to such paper. They said such "unprofessional and amateurish" paper brought "discredit and disrepute" to the government's think-tank.

 

Taking on the critics of the GM technology, the paper - Raising Agricultural Productivity and Making Farming Remunerative for Farmers - said, "Objections to GM technologies are based on the twin fears that they may harm humans consuming the resulting produce and they may have adverse effects on biodiversity.

 

"But no compelling evidence supporting either of these fears has emerged more than two decades after the original introduction of GM foods in 1994".

 

Circulated as an occasional paper for wider consultation, the 46-page note is based on the work of the task force on agricutural development constituted by the NITI Aayog in March, 2015. The paper was brought out by the think-tank on December 16 last year.

 

Seeking to allay the fears of nay-sayers, the paper noted that India has even been importing and consuming canola oil made from GM rapeseed with "no adverse health effects reported to-date".

It also said that the success of Bt cotton in India and many more GM seeds elsewhere in the world testifies to the potential of GM technology in giving a major boost to productivity in agriculture.

 

"Genetically Modified seeds have emerged as a powerful new technolgy promising high productivity and lower use of fertilizers, weedicides and pesticides in the last one to two decades and have gained increasing acceptance among farmers around the world", said the paper.

 

Recognizing the general sensitivity to permitting multi-national companies to sell GM seeds in India, the paper suggested that it may be prudent for the government to proceed with the "domestically sourced GM seeds only".

 

It said, "Luckily, Indian scientists and institutions have been active and successful in this area".

The paper pitched for the use of GM technology in a chapter dedicated to raising productivity through technological interventions and other efforts including precision farming. It also suggested measures like remunerative prices, wide irrigation infrastructure, legalised land leasing and adequate relief schemes against natural disasters to make farming attractive.

 

The Coalition for a GM-Free India (an umbrella organization of anti-GM groups), in its letter to Panagariya, however, strongly opposed to any suggestion on the use of GM technology and insisted that the evidence in public domain existed that showed the dangers of transgenic crops on human health and biodiversity.

 

It said, "If NITI Aayog is to keep up its credibility as a policy think-tank for the nation and the government in particular, it is important that it remains credible in the eyes of the general public who can sieve through biased and unbiased as well as scientific and unscientific analysis".

 

The Coalition noted that the 10 years of the ongoing Supreme Court PIL on GMOs (Writ Petition 260 of 2005) has seen the petitioners present various evidences about the adverse impacts of GM technologies and it is simply untrue to claim that no evidence of such adverse effects exists.

 

"It is obvious that the authors (of the paper) did not even scout around for evidence to see if transgenics is the only option on this front, and it would be useful if rigorous, indepth examination of issues is taken up by the task force as well as authors of the occasional papers of NITI Aayog", said Sridhar Radhakrishnan of the Coalition's co-convenor.

 

Concluding his letter, he said, "We do hope that NITI Aayog will refrain from even disclaimer-prefaced occasional papers if it cannot adopt rigorous facts-based analysis".

 

SOURCE: http://m.timesofindia.com/home/environment/developmental-issues/Anti-GM-groups-question-NITI-Aayogs-pro-transgenic-crops-paper/articleshow/50761085.cms

NEWS : Firms accuse lobby of seeking price controls on cotton seeds

Last Modified: Wed, Jan 27 2016. 01 02 AM IST

Eleven NSAI members, including Monsanto, say body lobbied centre for controls implemented in 7 December order

At least 11 member companies of the National Seeds Association of India (NSAI) have written to the industry body alleging motivated lobbying by it with the Union government for a price control order for cotton seeds.

This, the companies allege, will discourage innovation and deprive farmers of better seed technology.

In separate but similar letters written on 23 and 25 January, seed companies including Monsanto India, Mahyco, Bayer Crop Sciences Ltd, Syngenta India Ltd, Rasi Seeds, Sungro Seeds and Shriram Bioseed Genetics alleged that NSAI sought and defended the price control order even though it had challenged other such regulations before various courts in the past.

The letters reviewed by Mint also said that “NSAI has sought to intervene in certain contractual disputes between some of its dominant members against a technology provider”.

“This appears to be a gross misuse of the NSAI platform and financial resources which is not intended for such motivated purposes,” the letters added.

The reference seemingly is to an ongoing dispute between Nuziveedu Seeds Ltd (NSL) and Mahyco Monsanto Biotech (India) Pvt. Ltd (MMBL), where the former refused to pay MMBL trait or royalty fees (amounting to Rs.138 crore) for using its proprietary Bt cotton technology.

MMBL, a joint venture between Mahyco and Monsanto, has filed an arbitration petition on the non-payment of trait fees by eight firms including NSL in the Bombay high court. The companies owe MMBL about Rs.450 crore in trait fees on the grounds that several state governments have put in place price controls which also mandated lower trait fees than what was agreed upon bilaterally between seed companies and MMBL.

Currently, MMBL receives a trait fee of Rs.163 per packet of Bt cotton seeds (using patented Bollgard II technology) which are sold at Rs.930 per packet.

MMBL also terminated the contract with NSL and two of its units (Prabhat Agri Biotech and Pravardhan Seeds) on 14 November.

NSL, with a 20% market share in Bt cotton seeds, is headed by M. Prabhakar Rao, who is also the current president of NSAI.

Interestingly, the disagreement within NSAI—which has 357 members, including warring parties like NSL and Monsanto—comes into the open ahead of a crucial court hearing on 27 January where MMBL has petitioned the Delhi high court to quash the price control order issued by the agriculture ministry.

MMBL has contended in its petition that the price control order is “illegal and unconstitutional” as it regulates the contractually negotiated licence fee payable by its licencees for distributing patented Bollgard II technology.

Mint has reviewed a copy of this petition. MMBL has claimed that this is beyond the scope of price regulation under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, as its technology does not qualify as an “essential commodity”.

NSAI’s executive director Kalyan Goswami earlier this month said that the industry body has been made a party to this case, on its request.

On the present set of letters Goswami said that NSAI is yet to receive any communication signed by the 11 companies.

“I am really very sorry to say that this statement is made today (Tuesday) by Monsanto looking at tomorrow’s (Wednesday’s) hearing in the Delhi high court,” he said, adding, “We would like to reiterate that the decision of advocating to the ministry of agriculture for price control was taken by the governing council (of NSAI). The council is elected by all the members, spread nationwide, and not by only selected members.”

Goswami further said that firms coming forward with Monsanto (in the letter) have direct or indirect business links with it.

“They should question the drastic and discriminatory actions and exercise of dominance by MMBL. On the contrary, they have short-term commercial interests. They are not thinking of the interest of farmers,” he added.

The agriculture ministry on 7 December issued a price control order to bring uniformity in Bt cotton seed prices, as several states like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana had brought in price control orders. The other reason, according to the ministry, is to make Bt cotton seeds affordable for farmers.

In addition to court cases and the price control order, the ministry also wrote to the Competition Commission of India (27 November) requesting it to probe whether MMBL abused its dominant position as a technology provider for Bt cotton.

The multiple cases and disputes involving technology providers like MMBL, seed companies, industry bodies like NSAI and the ministry of agriculture will determine the future of Bt cotton in India.

The transgenic Bt technology, first allowed for commercial cultivation in 2002, catapulted India from an importer of cotton to its current position as a top producer and second largest exporter of cotton globally.

At least 6 million farmers grow cotton in India, over 95% of which is grown using the Bt technology which is licensed to 49 seed companies by MMBL.

Seed companies that wrote to NSAI also said that even though price control regulation is presently limited to cotton seeds, “it is inevitable that similar regulation will be applicable to all kinds of seeds and technology, thereby jeopardising significant investments already made by many members”.

The firms observed that the NSAI should not be used for short-term commercial interests of a few dominant members whose interests were prioritized over “larger group members”.

Sayantan BeraShreeja Sen

SOURCE : http://www.livemint.com/Companies/0vTiyQS0BXlnoAdcD0jacI/Firms-accuse-lobby-of-seeking-price-controls-on-cotton-seeds.html