Agriculture data collection: A big challenge for Indian Agriculture

Data collection is a base of planning and analysis. Indian agriculture is very much diversified in many means like size of land, availability of water, type of crop, season, climatic condition, market value, market demand and many more. There is no hesitation to say that there is no reliable source of agriculture data in India, Most of data are collected by govt employees. There is shortage of govt employees, it is always questionable about method and authenticity of data collected by them. We don’t have any sufficient information about the crop cultivation area, production of agriculture produces, consumption of agriculture produces and available stock. 

Policy makers can’t make effective policies as there is no reliable data collection mechanism. There are various points of data collection all these points can be assembled on single platform and data can be extracted as per demand. First point is farmers. Farmers can feed the detail of his land and area of different crop taken on his land. Farmers are primary source of authentic data. Govt must create awareness among farmers for data collection by the farmers. These data can be matched with the agriculture input sellers, that particular input seller has sold the farming input to that particular farmers. After that farmers sell the farm produce to the agriculture market. That agriculture market can be cross check the details if farmers have taken crop on sufficient land as per production with sufficient farm inputs. After that buyer can cross check if there is sufficient production of particular commodity in the specific region. Block-chain technology can be helpful here in real time data collection. 

Once the data is collected then it can used by all the stockholders as per their need. Farmer can use it to know the demand of hind production, availability of stock in market and decision making for crop cultivation planning. Traders can use it know that how much quantity they will have to buy from farmers, If the quantity is more that then have they sufficient storage to store new arrival, have they sufficient money to make payment to farmers. Processor can make decision about planning of processing. if the product will available is sufficient quantity for processing. From where processor will but the stock. Govt can make decision if there is any requirement to ban the export import to control the prices from falling or inflation. 

Data collection is very crucial step. There must be easy availability of the reliable and real data. Poor data creates a lot of problem for agriculture. After spending the money by the govt, basic agriculture problems remain as it is. At some places farmers don’t get the price of their produce and at some places there is problem of inflation. 

Crop residue / stubble burning in India should be handled in proper way

In northern India crop residue / stubble are burnt on large scale after the harvest of rice and sugarcane crop, For farm preparation next crop farmer choose an easy way of burning to eliminate the stubble from farms. This wrong practice cause a lot of pollution . There is no rainfall before winter and the particles of carbon & smoke keep suspending the environment. During winter time these smoke and carbon particles form a think layer in lower atmosphere. The pollution causes a lot of environmental and health problems.

Supreme court of Indian and instructed the respective state governments to handle the problem. Govt have come with many solution including monitory assistance and financial fine. Govt is handling the problem in wrong way. There is no complete solution with govt. Either farmers are not getting complete financial assistance as promised or they are heavily fined. Now farmers are burning the stubble intentionally in protest against govt orders. 

Generally farmers don't have time to collect the stable and dispose it before sowing of next Rabi crop. Harvesting machines are made to cut the mature crop at the height of one feet . It is easy for harvesting machine to operate at more height. Farmers have no knowledge what to do with crop residual or stubble, They see it as a burden in their agriculture operations. Govt must avoid the monitory assistance as money is not used in proper way and It becomes a political reason to push farmers for more financial assistance. Financial assistance is not a solution.

Improvements in harvesting machines : If govt ask machine manufacturers that there must be modification of additional attachment that machine harvest the crop from ground level. After the crop harvesting the residual can be collected properly and completely. Govt must put ban on manufacturing of traditional machine which don't cut the crop from ground level. 

Conversion of stubble / crop residual into Organic manure : Govt must give training to farmers and create awareness among farmers for making of organic manure. Crop residual is rich in Organic carbon, Phosphorus, Nitrogen, Potassium , Calcium and other micro nutrients. Farmers burn these nutrients and these nutrients converts into the hazardous gases which creates a lots of health problem to rural populations. Farmers can go for individual approach of making organic manure or it can be a collective approach at village level to make organic manure at one place. Market value of one kg organic manure is not less than Rs 4-5/Kg . This manure will increase the nutrient content of soil. Farmers will happy to in rich his soil with nutrients. If there is 5000 Kg of Stubble production per hectare at lower side then farmers is adding the nutrients of 20,000-25,000 per hectare to his farm.

There is one product developed by the National Center for Organic Farming, Ghaziabad ( U.P.). The name of culture is " Waste Decomposer ". This 30 gm Bottle cost Rs 20 only. It can convert 1000 MT crop residual or stubble into organic manure with in one month. It is very effective culture. This process requires 2 Kg Jaggery and 200 Litre water. With minor investment farmer can save the nutrient of Rs 25,000. These additional nutrients will give result in next crop production. 

Address of center to get the above culture :

Director

National Centre of Organic Farming,

Sector 19, Hapur Road, Kamla Nehru Nagar,

GHAZIABAD - 201 002 (UP).

0120-2764906, 2764212; Fax:0120-2764901

Web: http://ncof.dacnet.nic.in Email: nbdc@nic.in

Educating and awareness among farmers will motivate them to not burning the crops residue. Farmers will find a effective way to solve his problem and govt will also solve its purpose to minimize the pollution caused by crop burning.