CPI preparing report on China's success in agriculture sector

At a time when the UPA government is struggling with rising suicides by farmers, the Communist party of India (CPI) is preparing a report on how China is set to pull off yet another coup "" this time in the agriculture sector.

Beijing unravelled its mega plans on agriculture to a delegation of the Communist Party of India (CPI). The CPI delegation led by Atul Kumar Anjan, senior leader and head of the "Kissan Sabha" has recently returned from a 10-day visit to China, sponsored by the Chinese Communist party.

Visibly awed by the Chinese growth story of massive infrastructure, vast manufacturing base and a booming economy, Anjan told Business Standard that he was preparing a report on his visit. "I would present it to the government. Maybe they can pick a tip or two from the Chinese experiences," he said.

Anjan said although the farm sector reforms were yet to be unleashed in a big way the Chinese farmers were already better off than their Indian counterparts. "China has just taken up its five years plan (2006-11) with agriculture as its main focus and from what I observed, it would be a great Chinese success story," Anjan said.

The Indians were told by the Chinese officials and the Communist party leaders that they were aiming at rapid urnbanisation and migration of people from villages. The aim was to minimise the dependence of majority of population on agriculture and boost the production.

"On one side they are building massive infrastructure "" warehouses, cold storage chains and green houses "" to overcome the natural disadvantages that the farmers have in rugged mountainous terrain and on the other side they would have lesser people in villages with larger holdings to usher in mechanised farming that would also be viable," Anjan said.

The CPI leader's comparisons between India and China have thrown up interesting facts. In spite of scanty and less productive land as compared to India, the Chinese farmers are better off mainly because they are provided quality seeds and good fertilisers and pesticides by the government and not the unscrupulous traders, as it happens in India. "Selling adulterated fertilisers is unthinkable in China since it would attract severe punishment," he said.

Interestingly, 50 per cent of the Chinese countryside is still without proper toilets though each village has electricity supply and schools. Nearly 60 per cent of the rural population is below the poverty line. However, as Anjan put it, "60 per cent of these Chinese BPLs are better off than their Indian counterparts".

Anjan says the Chinese road map to reducing poverty was clearly linked to urbanisation and massive growth in manufacturing sector.

The CPI leader however said that China's growth story was not without its share of conflicts and also controversies like the Indian left parties had to face in Singur in West Bengal.

He says that sometime back seven villages in Beijing province had refused to part with their land to builders for skyscrapers. The arbitration continued for three years and finally the controversy was resolved through a referendum in which the land owners cast their vote. "The villagers won the game," Anjan said.

"The Chinese law gives a clear right to the land owner on quoting price for his land, also forbids the sale of productive land for economic growth."

However, China, as the CPI leader's report says, has just six Special Economic Zones but thousands of Economic Development Zones.