Weak policy commitment hits agriculture strategy

KATHMANDU: Weak commitment to policy and weak implementation capacity will be an obstacle to get the desired results from the Agriculture Development Strategy, according to participants at the ‘Policy Dialogue: Workshop on Agriculture Development Strategy’, here today.

The strategy has a target to increase agriculture exports by almost seven times, land productivity by more than three times, labour productivity by three times, and contribution of agriculture to the GDP by three times. However, society has to completely change its perception of farming from being unattractive and full of drudgery, to an honourable professional activity, according to senior agriculturist at the Ministry of Agriculture Development (MoAD) Sabnam Shivakoti.

Similarly, the exodus of youth from rural areas, growing rural-urban gap, loss of agricultural land, weak smallholder farmer organisations, and adoption of improved technology 

are some of the key challenges to transform the agriculture sector that includes broader areas from crops to livestock, forestry and fisheries, production, trade, processing to marketing, and spans across different ministries and agencies, and includes not only government agencies but farmers, private sector enterprises, cooperatives, NGOs, and service providers.

The strategy is trying to address the current agriculture system that has become less important as a share of labour and GDP, she said, adding that after the implementation of the strategy, agriculture could become more productive in terms of higher agricultural labour income and GDP.

For better results, technology development and dissemination that is demand-driven and responsive to farmers and enterprises, needs to be developed, besides ensuring that input supply and distribution system provides timely, quality, and reasonably priced inputs to farmers, providing a favourable environment and specific measures to increase the level and effectiveness of public and private investment including investment in infrastructure and irrigation.

However, market development and commercialisation of agriculture is key to achieve growth potential of agriculture, driven by expanding domestic and regional demand, emergence of innovative and competitive enterprises, and increased value addition, added Shivakoti. “Along with proper land management that ensures effective implementation of land planning and management to promote productive use of land, rights of tillers, and environmental protection must also be ensured.”

The policy dialogue shared the process and content of the strategy with the wider public so that its assumptions, analyses, priorities and thematic thrusts could be scrutinised. Its aim was to also identify weaknesses and strengths in the process and its content, and review viable changes and suggestions if needed. The dialogue had an objective to also review the initiatives taken in mainstreaming organic agriculture integration, and to provide inputs.

The strategy that envisions ‘a competitive, sustainable and inclusive agricultural sector that contributes to economic growth, improved livelihoods, and food and nutrition security,’ also has to include the voice of farmers and practitioners in the planning process and engage key policy shapers and makers, according to the civic society that blamed the policy for being donor driven and of techno-bureaucratic interest and orientation.

Nepal is on the threshold of a new socio-cultural, political and economic change, and reshaping agricultural policies and strategies could play a vital role in economic development.

There have been a number of policies and programmes for the development of the agriculture sector since 1995.

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Rural leasehold land threatens viability of agriculture.

By Virginia Tapp 

An inquiry into government-owned lands has heard calls for a mass conversion of land from lease hold to free hold.

Five years ago, the Delbessie agreement was created to modernise the rural leasehold land arrangement between government and land holders.

But increasing rent payments on properties and more questions surrounding the relevance of government land ownership have prompted a new inquiry.

Policy Manager of Agforce Queensland, Lauren Hewitt, says the new government seemed keen to work out a better way to manage land.

"They've been travelling around Queensland to listen to people who placed submissions to that inquiry and hear about their own personal issues with the tenure system in Queensland."

"We've looked to places like South Australia, Western Australia and internationally to see what's happened there... things like a template compensation figure that would make it easier to facilitate freeholding for lessees.

"if you look at mass conversion opportunities or mass freeholding opportunities that have occurred in other jurisdictions, they've really had to set the figure quite low, so any freeholding scheme would have to be affordable for lessees in order to be able to do that."

Ted Malone is Chairman of the Parliamentary working committee for State Development, infrastructure and Industry.

He says native title and state forests must be taken into account before leasehold can be converted to freehold.

Mr. Malone believes the government will act swiftly on receiving the committees recommendations.

The committees recommendations will be tabled in Parliament on November the 30th and a transcript of the public hearings is available at http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/work-of-committees/committees/SDIIC/inquiries/current-inquiries/01-Government-land-tenure.

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Agriculture exhibit opens at New Visions Gallery

New Visions Gallery invites visitors to join in a journey through the agricultural landscape of this beautiful country at the 26th annual Culture & Agriculture exhibit, opening Sunday.

Artists from throughout the United States offer unique and thoughtful interpretations of this rural theme and help viewers remember the rich culture and diversity that surrounds agricultural life. More than 90 works of art will be on display in New Visions Gallery from Sunday to Aug. 31. A free opening reception will be from 3 p.m. 5 p.m. Sunday.

Every Culture & Agriculture exhibit brings a new collection of work by a variety of artists, each of whom brings a fresh variety of technique, media, process and subject matter on agricultural themes. Participating artists hail from Pennsylvania to California and other points throughout the United States, including Wisconsin. Artists offer everything from traditional paintings, fiber creations, classic renderings, breathtaking photography, mixed media sculpture and more.

Participating Marshfield artists include: R. Christian Egger, photography; Kenneth Flanagan, oil; Susan Kloch Wendlandt, etching; Linda Merkel, pencil; Laura J. Nelke, watercolor; and Kathryn Petke, mixed media collage.

"This year's exhibit offers a truly rich collection of work," said Betsy Tanenbaum, New Visions Gallery director. "Some are playful, others really examine our connection to our food, agricultural heritage and land -- each piece is distinctive and memorable."

The opening reception will include an artist meet and greet, the toe tapping sounds of Sloppy Joe "Slopgrass" band and delicious cheese provided by exhibit sponsors, Harmony Specialty Dairy Foods LLC. The opening reception is free and open for the public to attend. All are invited.

Gallery hours are from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. New Visions Gallery is in the main lobby of Marshfield Clinic. Admission is free thanks to donations from Art Partners. Exhibit space and other support is donated by Marshfield Clinic. For more information, call New Visions Gallery at 715-387-5562 or email newvisions.gallery@frontier.com.

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Private investments – a fair deal for small-scale farmers?

By Cecilia Schubert

Biofuels are a hot commodity, and the private sector is looking at small-scale farms in developing countries to help produce crops to feed the industry. Understandably, this is causing controversy, with accusations of land-grabbing by private companies, and fears that farmers may swap food crops for more profitable biofuel crops, increasing their risk of hunger. But what is actually happening behind the headlines? Can farmers really benefit from the investments or will they only jeopardize food security and degrade the environment? Is it really a fair deal for everyone involved?

These were some the topics discussed during International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) side event ‘Fair ideas - Making agricultural investments work for small scale farmers’ held on 17 June during the Rio +20 negotiations. Led by Lindiwe Sibanda, CEO of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN), the panel addressed challenges and opportunities concerning private sector investment in agriculture. The panel also talked about possible ways forward, particularly implementation of a model that supports and builds on the needs of small-scale farmers.

A small-scale farmer in Africa normally owns less than one hectare of land (sometimes only one-quarter of a hectare), to produce food for the family and sell some crops at the market. In humid areas, some farmers raise livestock in addition to farming, while in dry areas livestock is the primary source of income. Sara Namirembe from World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), described the limited scope for expansion of African farms, which makes it difficult to combine both production of food crops and crops aimed for biofuels. In Uganda for instance, farmers who received payment for producing biofuel crops almost eliminated production of food crops entirely, leaving the community food insecure. This is one risk involved in this line of business she explained. Another risk is  biofuel crop failure. Who will compensate the farmer and what type of safety nets are there? Currently, she said, these safety nets are rare.

Farmers can, however, improve their negotiation status in relation to the industries investing in their farms, said Ruud van Eck, Director of Diligent Energy Systems. For example joining together and getting organized, is one way of strengthening the voices of farmers. He described how companies want to see farmers organised, to improve communication and the flow of information.  Farmers need access to knowledge and resources, markets and infrastructure, he said, and many of these inputs are missing today.

There are many real concerns and challenges, and more research and local participation is needed before we can ensure that there is a win-win situation for everyone involved. Policies and regulations around biofuels and food production are also crucial in order to make sure that farmers and the environment benefit from this process.

But there are also opportunities for farmers. Industries are investing, creating opportunities to expand and intensify they agricultural production. Dr. Sibanda summed up the session by saying that every player has a role to play: the private sector needs to open the way forward and be transparent; researchers have to produce better knowledge about the biophysical and socioeconomic costs and opportunities; and consumer need to raise their voices and acquire information about the situation. Sustainable agriculture needs the private sector and success depends on a stronger commitment by investors, NGOs and policy makers to ensure that investments can contribute to development goals.

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The CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) was covering the Rio+20 Conference live between 12 - 22 June. Read the latest stories related to agriculture and food security from the conference. To get the latest updates follow both CCAFS on Facebook and Twitter and Agriculture Day Facebook and Twitter. Join the conversation about agriculture and food security at Rio+20 using #Rio4ag on Twitter.

Cecliia Schubert is a communications assistant at the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS).

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Local feedback on national agriculture blueprint

Landholders in the Mid-Western Region have been given a chance to have their say on how Australia's agriculture industry should be developed.

The National Farmers' Federation has held a meeting in Mudgee to get input on its blueprint for the industry.

Members of the New South Wales Farmers' Association have used the forum to call for priority to be given to fair rather than free trade rules and to ensure land is not fragmented by subdivisions, urban expansion and mining.

The Chairman of the Mudgee branch Mitchell Clapham says property rights must not be jeopardised, and there are other ways to protect farming.

"Well it absolutely is very controversial and probably one of the best ideas I've seen," he said.

"I was at a conference run by the Australian Farm Institute and there was the president of the US farm lobby group.

"What they have over there is a scheme where they would buy the right to subdivide which meant then he could then retain it and gave him capital and he could then retain it purely for prime production."

Mr Clapham says agriculture should be given priority over mining.

"Any blueprint for farming needs to preserve the right to farm.

"Where you're coming up against urban expansion or mining and that means it should have priority over mining.

"New South Wales Farmers' have been arguing that at a state level and I think that should be argued at a federal level too."

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Uduipi: Agricultural land reduced, population rises

By Snehalatha, Udupi
Bellevision Media Network
Udupi, 16 June 2012: Udupi district is doing outstanding achievements in the fields of education and health, also leaps into the industrial field. The population increases day by day, but the agricultural land is reducing day by day! In the district every year about 800 hectare paddy growing agricultural land is disappearing. In the district the paddy was grown in 65,020 hectare during 2000 – 01. But this has dropped down to 56,339 hectares. During 2012 – 13 the paddy will be grown 55,000 hectare land.

At the same time the population is growing by 8.28% in the district per year. During 2000 – 01 the district population was 11,12,243, which increased to 12,04,336 in 2010 – 11. That means during the 10 years 92,093 and average 920 increase every year in population is taking place.

The agricultural land is reducing and at the same time population is increasing, means the agricultural produce is reducing, but the demand for the agricultural products is increasing. As per commerce this is the main reason for the raising prices. Accordingly the rice which was available for Rs. 5 ten years ago, is costing Rs 12 to 15 now. Also the cost of other food products have raised 3 – 4 times.

In one side the government – ministers are giving speeches asking to give importance to agriculture and to make self sufficient in food production, but on the other hand they conduct world investment seminars and also issues land to industrialists even by force if necessary. The best example for this is Udupi district.

During the last 4 – 5 years, the government has issued about 1,500 acres of land in Udupi district to companies such as Nagarjuna and Suzlon. Out of that land 75% of the land is greenery producing agricultural products, which is unfortunate.

Behind the disappearance of the agricultural land the hand of land mafias is huge. These land brokers who go into the villages and offer money to the farmers and purchase thousands of acres of land, convert them to site and sell. The agricultural land converts into residential area.

However, Udupi district which was popularly known as the district that depends on agriculture, will soon turn into the district depends on industry.

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Vic farming has an image problem: report

AAP 

A VICTORIAN government inquiry has found state secondary students should be schooled on careers in farming.

The plan would be to interest young people in a life on the land as there is a farming labour shortage of about 100,000 workers nationally.

A Victorian parliamentary committee's found farming has an image problem among young people in rural communities, perpetuated by farmers talking down farming.

Prue Addlem, whose family farm is between Bendigo and Kerang in northern Victoria, says reports often focus negative aspects of agriculture, like drought and flooding.

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Pakistani daily wonders why no tax on agriculture

For decades Pakistan has "flirted with the idea of imposing taxes on the agricultural sector", but the effort has met with little success, rued a leading daily.

An editorial in the Dawn Thursday said the latest but as yet unpublished agriculture census finds that up to 80 percent of the people in the country's farming sector own just 28 percent of all privately-owned agricultural land.

"The bland statistics obfuscate one of the most serious disconnects in the country," it said.

"Whichever sector is examined, be it agriculture, healthcare, education or practically any other, the elite - who constitute a fraction of the overall population - are using up the overwhelming bulk of the available resources. In plain terms, the minority appropriates what the majority needs to pull itself out of its misery," the daily added.

The editorial said that "for decades the country has flirted with the idea of imposing taxes on the agricultural sector so that the economy as a whole can benefit. The effort has met with little success, given that in many cases the elements that have the power to bring about a veto are the very ones that have large and lucrative stakes in agricultural land and the related economy".

"Will a government ever have the will to bring agriculture into the tax net?" it asked and added: "That remains a moot point."

IANS

Original article © IANS / Daily News 2012

UPDATE 1-China investigates Agriculture Bank vice president

(Adds statement from bank)

May 30 (Reuters) - A vice president at Agricultural Bank of China Ltd , China's third largest bank by market value, is under investigation by the Communist Party's discipline authorities, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said.

Yang Kun has not been in his office in over a week, the source told Reuters on Wednesday, and has been taken away by the party's disciplinary body, which typically probes allegations of corruption and other crimes before handing suspects over to judicial authorities.

Agbank's Hong Kong-listed stock closed down 4 percent on Wednesday, while the main index fell 1.9 percent.

The state-owned bank, which has a stock market value of $137 billion and reported January-March net profit of 43.45 billion yuan ($6.8 billion), said Yang was "currently assisting relevant mainland authorities in connection with certain investigations".

"The board is of the view that, as at the date of this announcement, the bank's business, operations and financial status have not been affected," it said in a short statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange.

"The bank will follow the development of this incident and will make further announcement as and when appropriate."

The website of Chinese magazine Caixin, a respected financial publication, reported separately on Wednesday that Yang had been taken away to assist in an investigation and banned from leaving the country.

The article, citing sources with knowledge of the matter, added that a close relative of his had also been taken in recently for questioning.

Caixin said Yang was suspected of involvement in a gambling case involving a Beijing real estate company.

Nobody answered the telephone at the spokesman's office for the party's discipline body, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Yang joined the bank in 1981, a biography on the bank's website shows. His 2011 remuneration was 915,600 yuan, a bank submission showed in March.

The biography says he was responsible for several of the bank's operations, including corporate and consumer banking, the international department and real estate lending.

Historically, Agbank was a policy bank supporting China's farmers under Chairman Mao Zedong. It was the weakest of the big four banks and so was the last to go public.

It held an initial public offering in 2010, selling a record-breaking amount of shares in Hong Kong and Shanghai, raising more than $20 billion. ($1=6.36 yuan) (Reporting by Hong Kong newsroom; Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Don Durfee and Anthony Barker)

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Agriculture, industry thriving side by side in Gujarat: Modi

Ahmedabad: Outlining various facets of development in Gujarat, Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the state has struck a balance between agricultural and industrial growth.

"At a time when India's agriculture is not growing beyond 3 per cent, Gujarat's agriculture is growing at 11 per cent, despite the fact that unlike the rest of the country, the state is not blessed with perennial rivers," Modi said addressing NRIs across 12 cities in the US through a video-conferencing session.

The Chief Minister said Gujarat has achieved "balanced growth" in sectors like agriculture, industry and services. Speaking about agricultural growth, Modi told the overseas audience that the agricultural income has shot up to Rs 96,000 crore as compared to Rs 14,700 crore a decade ago, with farmers being the major beneficiaries.

"From 108 lakh hectares of agriculture land in 2001, Gujarat now has 135 lakh hectares," Modi said adding that he would not let the agriculture land get reduced.

This is for the first time that agriculture and industry are thriving side by side on such a vast scale, he asserted.

Modi told them that Gujarat's milk production has risen by 68 per cent and the state is taking great strides in cotton production. In 2001, Gujarat produced 23 lakh bales of cotton, but today the figure stands at 1.23 crore bales (one bale equals 170 kg).

Modi said Gujarat was surging ahead in the manufacturing sector as well and was all set to turn into Asia's auto-hub. Even American auto giant Ford is coming to Gujarat, he said.

While addressing the gathering, he pointed out that American companies had invested Rs 15,000 crore in Gujarat and Canada had been working with the state in close coordination for quite some time.

Modi invited the audience to visit the state during the upcoming 2013 'Vibrant Gujarat' Summit and the Uttarayan festivities.

Modi also spoke about Gujarat's advancement in the field of solar energy. He claimed that the state has dedicated 600 MW to the national grid, while the rest of the country is producing only 120 MW of solar energy.

The solar park set up at Charanka will be the Asia's largest, Modi said.

He also claimed that the innovative canal-top solar power project was beneficial in saving about one crore litres of water per kilometer from evaporation annually and would save 16 per cent of electricity and land for farmers.

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