 "No consensus among states on use of GM tech")
Consensus seems to have eluded a NITI Aayog task force on agriculture on use of genetically modified (GM) technology in pulses and oilseeds from state governments. However, state governments have broadly agreed to most other issues raised by the task force, including legalising land lease.
Officials said the task force, which concluded its final meeting with representatives from northern, eastern and northeast states last week, is likely to put down all suggestions and issues flagged by the states in the form of actionable points to be implemented.
The task force was constituted in March 2015 by the NITI Aayog to operationalise the decisions taken in the first meeting of NITI Aayog's governing council in February last year. "The final report is expected to be put in the public domain by the end of this month," the officials said.
The task force had floated a discussion paper in December on issues concerning the country's agriculture sector wherein it had recommended calibrated use of the Essential Commodities Act to ensure private investment in storage and warehousing is not hurt. It had also advocated the need for creating a vibrant land lease market and starting a land bank to be held by a private agency.
Later, it held extensive consultations with representatives of state governments. The meetings were held in Ahmedabad, Bengalaru and Delhi.
NITI Aayog vice-chairman Arvind Panagariya presided over these meetings. According to officials, state governments were represented by senior officials and agriculture ministers.
On GM crops, the discussion paper floated by the task force has favoured selective use of transgenic seed varieties, commonly known as GM technology in pulses and oilseeds after necessary safeguards.
It is here that states don't have a common stand, officials said. Officials said NITI Aayog would frame a model land lease Act and it states could either adopt it in full or amend the law according to their local needs and requirements.
"The basic structure might remain the same, but states would be free to adopt the Act according to their needs. For example, in Bihar, remnants of the old zamindari system is still in place and special changes have to be made." NITI Aayog members Bibek Debroy and Ramesh Chand along with economist Ashok Gulati and a host of secretaries from the ministries of agriculture, land resources, water resources, and fertilisers are the other members of the task force.
Officials said that apart from the model land leasing Act, the states also seem to unanimous in their resolve to improve marketing of agriculture products.
"During our interaction, no state opposed amending the APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Committee) Act, which will also get a push. On crop insurance products, the paper said the government should provide a diverse set of insurance products."
SOWING SEEDS OF HOPE
Other recommendations of the task force
- Seed replacement ratio should be accelerated and raised to 33 % for high yielding varieties and 100 per cent for hybrids
- Fertilizer subsidy should be paid directly to farmers
- Urgent need to revitalize the National Agricultural Research System
- Food processing industry should be turned into a major export industry
- APMC Acts should be modified to support a well-functioning system of contract farming
- Special attention should be given to Eastern and NE states as farmers there face depressed prices
