Responding as if to the clarion call "Don't fight wars, fight hunger", farmers from eight countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) decided on Friday, March 7 to set up the "South Asian Farmers" Forum" after a three-day conference in New Delhi, marked by spirit of bonhomie and desire to co-operate with each other on matters pertaining to agriculture.
Suresh Prabhu, former Union Minister of Energy and Environment who was the Chairman of the Conference Committee, will be the convener of the Forum till a formal executive committee is elected. The first meeting will focus on initiatives needed to bring back agriculture at the centre stage of development activities of the region.
The call for "fighting hunger" was given by Dr. US Awasthi, Managing Director of the Indian Farmers" Fertilizer Co-operative Limited (IFFCO) and who is also heading the IFFCO foundation a non-profit organization set up in 2003. Apart from these two organizations, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research besides the Ministry of Agriculture had come together to organize the conference. For almost half the day on March 7, prior to the concluding session, the floor was thrown open to delegates from all the eight countries, most of them speaking about the conditions of agriculture in their countries in their mother tongues.
This was a welcome departure from the English-only language of the conference. You could hear from farmers of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka speaking out their minds in their languages. Translations into English was, of course, provided. The following are the recommendations of the three-day conclave held at the National Agricultural Science Complex near the Pusa Institute. in West Delhi. 1. A common and permanent cell be created in the first instance that shall comprise of such members as the current conference determines.
2. That the requirements are of the efficient and efficacious functional commitment in the areas of water for irrigation and the removal of issues pertaining to the conceptualization of such issues. Since water is a cross cutting requirement for the entire sector and sub sectors of agriculture, it shall be one of the constituent sectors for policy developments. Considering the water crises faced by South Asian countries, an integrated management programmes to increase conservation [involving endogenous practices].efficiency of on farm water use and equitable distribution of available water and integration of underground and surface water use.
The Conference recognized that while poverty and hunger are essentially a rural phenomenon the concentration of the deprived people is much higher in rain-fed and other non-congenial areas and recommended enhanced investment in such areas. 3. With the increasing threat of the trans-boundary diseases, pests, weeds of crops, livestock and fish, measures for management from this risk should be put in place on a priority basis which will also facilitate the regional and international trades.
4. There are violent price changes and trade distortions adversely impacting food security and incomes particularly of the majority small farmers and poor consumers. In low income food importing countries it is advisable to maintain a comfortable level of food self-sufficiency, particularly in cereal and staple foods. 5. Strategic linkage by strengthening value change to increase the advantages of the producers and the consumers needs to be assured.
6. Recognizing that the on-going climate change has resulted in decline in productivity and increased uncertainty of production besides causing serious degradation of natural resources needs to be factored in our development strategy to increase the balance input-risk-return. 7. We also recognize that there is technology fatigue syndrome which has failed us to bridge the long-standing yield gaps. We also recognize that most countries in the region are not fully equipped to harness the new emerging technologies such as bio-technology, Nano-technology, space technology, etc due to; paucity of infrastructure, trained human resources and lack of appropriate regulatory measures such as SPS, IPR, TRIPS etc.
8. The conference recognizes the rich bio-diversity of the SAARC countries, which is eroding fast, should be judiciously conserved, saved and utilized as per international norms and regulations. Necessary enabling mechanisms such as harmonization of food and bio-safety standards should be put in place to facilitate this. The paradox of coexistence of natural and cultural richness with stubbornly high poverty and hunger must be resolved.
9.That this requires an intervention to the mutual satisfaction of the farmers of the member-countries to ordain for themselves the required policies for the agriculture, and its various sub-section like horticulture, livestock, fisheries both marine and aquaculture not to mention forestry. 10. .In order to increase knowledge synergy and to avoid duplication of efforts, measures sharing information and proven technological and policy interventions. 11. To facilitate training visits and to learn from, each other proven experience the process of travel should be made more facilitative.
12. Recognizing the need for substantive increase in investment, required, public sector investment in agriculture and rural development and recognizing the increasing interest of the private sector to support these sectors, public-private sector linkages must be promoted not only for increasing the total investment but also to mutually synergize the outcome of investment which is primarily due to poor economic access. 13. Although the contribution of GDP agriculture to the overall GDP is declining, the dependence on agriculture is still very high. Therefore, investment in agriculture and rural infrastructure must be enhanced to increase the livelihood security of rural masses.
It impressed upon off-farm and on-farm integrated employment security particularly by promotion of mass production by masses and linking them through appropriate mechanisms with the markets. Each graduate should be entrepreneur, Should not be a job seeker but a job creator. Appropriate changes in university curricula are called for. The conference recognized that under the SAARC system, several programmes on agriculture and other related sectors are operational and are in the process of being designed and developed.
It also recognizes that several of these programmes require supplemental and complementary support should be provided to address these issues. The conference recognized the need for an institutional arrangement at the country and regional level to facilitate and enhance support in achieving the set goals. National for a and regional forum of SAARC which should include all stakeholders ,namely, farmers, private, public sectors, civil society, professional organizations and academia should be allowed to make their own arrangements for financial viability. The three-day conference made a request that the concern shown by it should be placed before the SAARC meeting of the Heads of States/countries for appropriate action. Well known agricultural scientists had addressed the conference. Among them were: Dr. R. B. Singh, Mr .Zafar Altaf (Pakistan), Dr. J.C Katyal, Dr.S.L.Mehta, S Ayyappan, Dr.S.L.Patil, Kamal Shideed, A.Mazid,and M.A.Ahmed (Information centre FOR Agricultural Research IN Dry Areas (ICARDA, Syria) , Dr.P.L.Gautam, Sushil Kumar, Pratap Birthal, P.K.Joshi, Devesh Roy and Amil Thorat, Tushar Shah, M.Vijaya Gupta, Som Nath Poudel (Nepal), Pervaiz Amirt (Pakistan), Pro. M.P.Yadava and R.K.Singh, Mruthyunjaya, Y.S.Ramakrishnan and M.Osman, Pratap Narain, Anwar Alam,Ramesh Chand, Nawab Ali, C.D. Mayee and a few other scientists.
Arabinda Ghose, -NPA
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