Hi All,
Its nice to see these discussions. I am a software guy with almost 4 years experience. In my view, agriculture has great scope in 2 years. What happened to Petrol/Diesel? We are importing 75% of our consumption. We are not able to control their price and its impact on inflation. When we face a lot difficulties in importing commodity, do u think we can manage to get food for 110 Cr people via imports?
Yeah.. We face labour issues in agriculture. But Its there everywhere. Even in IT, retail sector, Marketing sector, etc... My brother is franchise holder of a famous Sugarcane Juice brand. He has few chains of stores in COimbatore. He is facing labour issues. Even I can see labour openings from Branded Deparmental Stores to local textile vendor. thats not a problem. As long as you do a businees, there will be labour issues. Also, the main spoilsport of farming labour is NREGA and they pay 100 rupees per day. When we were ready to pay 150, the labours were ready to come to my farm. So if you can afford to pay more, you can bring the labourers from urban to rural. You may not afford to pay more now, but you can in future. Let me say why.
Why the pay in urban employees is more?? Foreign, mainly US, companies pay more for IT employees(also to other sectors, but major is IT sector), hence Retail sector developed, followed by real estate, banking sector, textile sector, etc.. hence the demand for urban employees increased... Inflation followed these developments.. If an IT employee gets 20000 in 2007, he would like earn 40000 in 2010 and 1,00,000 in 2014. But Foreign companies wont pay this much of amount and will try to shift their outsourcing to African Countries where they can pay at half rate at which we expect. Also, there will be a saturation point where all american companies got all needed softwares installed and they will be looking for maintainence projects only.. I wont say IT will be down.. Its growth will be less and IT employees will be fired to some extent I believe. So in long term basis, Industralisation will be stagnated and hence, agri is the only field which can give employment at that time. This may take around 10 years and hence I say agri has huge scope in long term basis.
Currently, We dont get good profit. I agree. But lack of profit are due to the following reasons: 1) You spend more on fertilizer and pesticides. 2) Current market prices of agri products are less.
Dont worry. The price of agri products will soon reach the peak in couple of years as the agri production decreases year on year. When the supply is less, demand will be more. One more thing is lack of unity between farmers. When bank employees need pay hike, all bank employees all over India come to road to strike. It happens in all Government Offices, public sector companies like Neyveli Lignite Corporation, state government offices, etcc... Whenever they have any issues, they start striking in unity. Are the farmers doing so? When all Indian farmers promise not to cultivate/sell vegetables for a month, Prime Minister will come to your home and beg you and look into your issues. First thing is We need to form groups and unions in respective districts/states and we need to do everything in unity.
The next thing is.. Some countries have rejected our foods when exported saying this is not consumable. Do u know why? We have been dumping fertilizers and pesticides in lands and spoiled the land, our profit and atlast our life. Have we had any classification of vegetables earlier?? Now we have.. Inorganic, Organic and Natural Vegetables.. I dont blame farmers for this. This is how we were brainwashed in Green Revolution. We needed more production during 70s and we implemented Green Revolution Thats fine as many INdians were starving.. But it wont work anymore as the prolong use of fertilizers/pesticides wont give you more production. I am afraid to eat fruit and veg salads nowadays. Endosulfan is banned in almost all countries. Still we use it. But We can do more production in Natural Farming. Also, Expense is very less and You can sell them for more price. hence you can earn more profit.
To avoid middle men, form a group/union in your taluk and put a shop in the nearby city and sell your products directly. Other option we can expect in future is.. Government may fix some price for each items and get them from farmers directly like whats happening now for rice, wheat, etc..
As long as urban people are there, agriculture will be good. Becos they need good food, need power. Hence Biomass Power are needed.. there is scope for agri products in power sector too.
What farmers can do as of now:
Let the urban heroes eat the chemical feeded vegetables and other agro products and let them suffer from all the diseases including arthithis, diabetes, etc.. at the age of 35. In 3-5 years from now, when every urban cannot do survive the urban food culture and rising global temperature, they wil understand the need of agriculture and come back to agriculture for the sake of his/her health.
Meanwhile, We can do Natural/Organic Farming and enjoy the price and lets live a healthy life. Organic/Natural Farmers fix the price of their products.
Also, Lets be ready with the knowledge and start investing in the tree plantation and all. In 3-5 years, We will be the King.
Lets encourage the chemical farmers to come to organic/natural farming. Dont compel or beg them it they are not interested. Becos, As long as chemical farmers are there, Organic and natural farmers can earn more profit and can rock the world.
As a backup, Please have a side businees apart from agriculture.
Jaihind!!!
Giritharan B