Help farmers adapt to new normal

The less-than-normal monsoon in 2023 has left several regions of the country grappling with drought conditions. A recent prediction by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warns of heightened summer heat waves, exacerbating water concerns in rural India. Already, several regions and cities are facing water stress, prompting state departments to explore alternative measures for ensuring drinking water supplies. The Government of Karnataka’s recent announcement of the allocation of significant funds for tackling drinking water problems is a positive step. While these measures may provide respite to some extent for habitations and livestock, the farm sector remains the most vulnerable segment.

The farm sector is the real economic driving force of the country, and with a large portion of the population dependent directly or indirectly on it, the country has to move away from knee-jerk measures such as input subsidies or waivers of some taxes here and there.

Agriculture remains the single largest consumer of fresh water in the country, with water use efficiency far from optimal levels. The farm sector may come sooner than later, in direct conflict with other demanding sectors like urban cities and industry. It is not that the farm sector has gone to the point of no return. It requires a few policy changes and proactive initiatives from the state government.

For instance, only 26.5% of the sown area (30,900 km²) of Karnataka is under irrigation, and with limited potential for additional irrigation, the farm sector may remain vulnerable to drought. The only sustainable solution is efficient water use that adopts and adheres to the water policies of both the Government of India and Karnataka to ensure ‘every unit of water has to be efficiently utilised.’

Micro-irrigation (drip or sprinkler) is the ideal candidate to ensure high water use efficiency and help in the conservation of water resources, along with improving yield rates and reducing input costs. However, the majority of farmers with marginal and small land holdings may not be able to afford to adopt microirrigation, and state support is vital to ensure higher penetration of microirrigation. Budgetary allocation for subsidies to encourage microirrigation is limited. The current trend of distribution of these limited funds is through equality (same preference to all districts) and also political interference. Thus, we find that in Karnataka, rainfed, drought-prone districts have received lower allocations than some districts in the Malnadu region. This practice should be changed, wherein equity would be the norm for the allocation of subsidies for microirrigation. In other words, the susceptibility of a region to drought should be the guiding factor for allocations. Thus, more allocation should be made to the water-stressed region of the state to ensure protective irrigation rather than productive irrigation until the large regions of the state or country have better drought-proofing capacities.

On the other hand, changing climate patterns are hanging on Indian agriculture like a sword of Damocles. Indian agriculture is attuned to climate to a great extent, and with climate changing at an alarming speed, even microirrigation may not be effective in resolving the water crisis in decades to come. We need to plan now to keep up with the changing climate, and precision farming offers solutions. However, at present, a small percentage of farmers only adopt precision farming at full scale due to the cost involved in adoption. But some practices of precision farming, such as land levelling, can be encouraged.

The most important stakeholder in making Indian agriculture sustainable and viable is the farmer himself. He is receptive, but at the same time, he is obstinate. Until a couple of decades ago, voluntary agencies had contributed to a great extent to making farmers adopt. But in recent years, the contribution of voluntary agencies has been significantly reduced, and government agencies must make farmers using traditional methods adapt to the new normality. For instance, in cases of delayed monsoons or less-than-normal monsoon rains, the current practice is to advise the farmers to delay the sowing of the tur (pigeon pea) at the appropriate time window in the northern Karnataka region.

Alternatively, farmers can be advised to sow the seeds in controlled conditions, for instance, at home, as it would greatly reduce the water demand, and after a few weeks, the seedlings can be transplanted. It would increase the cost slightly but certainly help farmers in terms of yield. However, to bring about such small but paradigm-changing shifts and make farmers more receptive, the government should expand its reach by spending more on agricultural extension activities.

(The writer is an independent researcher)