Cotton-Wheat Production System in South Asia: A Success Story and India.

In the past few years, much concern is being expressed on ‘Linking Farmers to Market’ – especially the LFM initiatives undertaken by NARS. Such studies have been promoted by FAO and the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR). APAARI, realizing the importance of LFM issues, organized an expert consultation in November 2006 at New Delhi, India, wherein need was expressed to identify some successful cases and publish them for wider use of NARS partners. The current publication is a follow up on these recommendations. It deals with three such success stories based on LFM initiatives undertaken in the Philippines, China and India.

Publication no. 2006/1
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Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy of many countries in the Asia-Pacific region as nearly 60 percent of its population derives livelihood from agriculture. The region has several hot spots of rural poverty, as most farmers in the region are smallholders with diverse farming systems, which are highly risk prone. In addition, these farmers have poor access to support services such as extension and the agricultural markets, knowledge, technology and financial credit. Obviously, a second “green” revolution is needed not only to produce more food in the region, but also to enable participation of its farmers more equitably in innovations and markets to reduce rural poverty, generate better rural livelihoods and maintain quality of life and environment. This second revolution could be termed as knowledge revolution and there are already some visible signs that Asia-Pacific rural agriculture is in midst of it. The new Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are bringing about and sustaining this revolution by empowering the resource-poor farmers with up-dodate knowledge and information about agricultural technologies, best practices, markets, price trends, consumer preferences, sources of finance, weather, soil-moisture conditions and the environment.

Building upon a previous report on status of ICT in ARD (APAARI, 2004), this publication reviews the current state of telecommunication policy for rural and agricultural development, diverse applications of new ICT in rural farming areas of selected Asia-Pacific countries and identifies different models of such applications by analyzing the context of local situations. It also assesses the potential impact of ICT in agricultural development by describing two successful cases – one from South Korea and the other from India – where the potential of ICT is harnessed for the benefit of small farmers. The South Korea case is a NARS initiative to provide agricultural information services using state-of-the-art ICT to more than 100,000 farmers and extension agents per month. While the Indian case is a 5-year old private sector intervention being scaled up to empower 10 million farming households by providing them access to up-to-date farming knowledge from experts and universities, and real-time information on markets, prices, weather, etc. Both the success stories have certain common elements such as the recognition of information and decisionmaking needs of farmers, capacity building support to farmers to enable them master the new ICT, and a user-friendly ICT-enabled agricultural information system.

Publication no. 2005/2
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Publication no. 2005/1
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Nepal is a Himalayan Kingdom situated at an altitude varying from 60 m in the south to 8,848 m in the north and is physio-graphically and agro-ecologically very diverse. It is one of the richest countries in the world, possessing about 2.27% of the world water resource (CBS 2003); approximately 5% of the total area of the country is occupied by different freshwater aquatic habitats (Bhandari 1992). Out of 818,500 ha total water surface area, there are about 6,000 rivers and rivulets flowing from north to south totaling about 45,000 km in length and covering an estimated area of 395,000 ha; these rivers and rivulets comprise about 48% of the total water resources (FDD 1998). Thus aquaculture in Nepal depends entirely on the exploitation of inland water bodies e.g. rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs and ponds. Pond fish culture is the important part of aquaculture. The major species used are warm water carps, namely, Rohu (Labeo rohita), Bhakur (Catla catla) and Naini (Cirrhina mrigala) including exotic carps; common carp (Cyprinus carpio), silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis), and grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella); these are under commercial culture mainly in the southern Terai plain. Cage culture of these species has also been promoted in some lakes and reservoirs in the hilly region. Though per capita fish consumption in Nepal is very low (1.543 kg/yr) (DoFD 2002) compared to other countries in the Asia-Pacific region and fisheries support only about 2% of the Agriculture GDP in the country (DoFD 2001), there has been a national initiative to promote/extend aquaculture in cold habitats for the mountain farming communities in order to generate income. A cold-water fish, the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) has been introduced to expand aquaculture in the hills of the country by utilizing the cold-water resources available. This success story briefly narrates the outcome of research and development efforts put forth by the national programme vis-à-vis the achievements made in trout culture in Nepal.

Publication no. 2004/3
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The President of India in his address to the nation on the 50th year of India’s independence mentioned of few landmark scientific achievements. The near self-sufficiency in food and the agricultural transformation was one amongst them. Slow growth in total wheat production up to 1965 necessitated a large-scale food grain import by India under the soft (Public Law) PL480 system (Figure 1). The series of agricultural changes that happened after 1965 in cereal production was called “Green Revolution”. Many underestimated the impact of change and rated green revolution as just an increase in the food grain production. But it was the decision of the scientists, extension functionaries, policy makers, political system and above all the Indian farmer to go in for major changes, alterations and improvements in his way of farming. By 1970 the impact of the green revolution made many visionaries predict that India will become self sufficient in food grain production. The 80s made us believe that India will be able to construct adequate buffer stock to thwart the adverse weather and other calamities. The 1990s made us dream that we must be able to export some quantity of wheat. During crop year 2000, India harvested 76 million tonnes (MT) of wheat, an unsurpassed record. India continues to remain the second largest producer of wheat in the world. Despite the last few years of drought and terminal heat stress, the total annual wheat production remained at 70 MT. There is a need to keep the wheat price and supply affordable for the 240 million people below the poverty line. That apart, India will have 1.4 billion people to be cared and protected against food shortages by 2025. The last few years of decline in total production and the concern about the factor of productivity has necessitated an examination of the present stalemate. Wheat (Triticum spp.) is the most important winter cereal of India and is grown during November to mid-April. Wheat is grown during the non-monsoon months, demands less water and it is less vulnerable to yield variation. Since the monsoon season crop remains at the mercy of rainfall, and that for having a reliable and robust food security system, winter season crop of wheat was chosen.

Publication no. 2004/2
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Pests and diseases adversely affect crop productivity and the stability of production in the tropics. In India, the annual losses amount to Rs. 45,000 crore. Recently, annual crop loss due to Old World bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera in India has been estimated at around Rs. 2,000 crore despite the use of insecticides worth Rs. 500 crore in 1998. With the new liberal trade policies several exotic insect pests have entered the country viz., subabul psyllid, Heteropsylla cubana on subabul, Leucaena leucocephala (1988); leaf miner, Liriomyza trifolii complex on several plants (1990); coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei on coffee (1991); spiralling whitefly, Aleurodicus dispersus on several plants (1993); coconut eriophyid mite, Aceria guerreronis on coconut (1998) and whitefly, Bemisia argentifolii (1999) on tomato and other hosts.

Alien species are recognized as the second largest threat to biological diversity, the first being habitat destruction. The exotic pests in the absence of their natural antagonists, which they leave in their original home, cause unprecedented damage. Economic impact of invasive pests is tremendous. Exotic weeds (aquatic, terrestrial and parasitic) interfere with cultivation of crops, loss of biodiversity (native plant species are displaced) and ecosystem resilience, loss of potentially productive land, loss of grazing and livestock production, poisoning of humans and livestock, erosion following fires in heavily invaded areas, choking of navigational and irrigation canals and reduction of available water in water bodies. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), as an outcome of the 1992 Rio Summit, recognizes the risk posed by the alien species and requests contracting parties to “prevent the introduction of, control or eradicate those alien species which threaten ecosystems, habitats or species” (Article 8.h.).

Biological control, i.e. conservation, augmentation and introduction of exotic natural enemies, has been accepted as an effective, environmentally non-degrading, technically appropriate, economically viable and socially acceptable method of pest management.
This publication has been prepared with a view to elucidate the information on classical biological control in India. It will be very useful for a large majority of readers of scientific literature, policy makers and scientists. The publication will serve as important reference to the members of APAARI countries and encourage adopting this system of pest management for exotic pests.
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Publication no. 2004/1
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Among the major food crops in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly South, East and Southeast Asia, pulses as nutritionally rich food, play an important role in improving the diet of the people. The countries in the region grow a dozen of summer and winter pulses to meet the dietary requirements, particularly for the poorer section of the society, to whom animal protein is less accessible. APAARI plays the role of facilitator to promote and coordinate agricultural research and development in the region through research networking. It has been supportive to the Cereals and Legumes Asia Network (CLAN), administered from ICRISAT, India. Lentil being an important pulse crop of Asia-Pacific region (which covers about 53% and produces 49% of world’s lentil, and recently became a CLAN mandate crop, APAARI has been instrumental in dissemination of information, material exchange and sharing of resources among the members of CLAN.

In Bangladesh, production of major food crops – rice, wheat, pulses and oilseeds – does not meet the present requirements of country’s population of about 135 million. The gap is widening both in quantity and quality. Agricultural scientists are faced with the complex and urgent task of bringing the “population – food supply” equation into rational balance. Rice and wheat have been the focus of concerted government effort in research and development. Similar attention was long overdue for the pulse crops, commonly known as poor man’s meat.

Pulses are vital components in diversification of Bangladesh’s predominantly rice-based cropping system. Lentil is the second most important pulse crop in terms of area (154,000 ha) and production (116,000 t), but ranks the highest in consumer preference and total consumption (BBS, 2002). Lentil seed is a rich source of protein and several essential micronutrients (Fe, Zn, ?-carotene) (Bhatty, 1988). Only red cotyledon type is used as food in Bangladesh, where it is boiled into soup-like dhal and eaten with flat bread (roti) or rice. Khichuri is another popular dish, which is made from a mixture of split lentil seed and pounded wheat or rice. Lentil straw is valued animal feed.

Domestic pulse production satisfies less than half of the country’s needs. The rest, some 140,000 tonnes, is imported at a cost of about US$ 32.2 million per annum. Lentil, purchased mostly from Australia, Nepal, Turkey and Canada, accounts for US$17.6 million (MOA, 2002). The resulting high prices have led to widespread protein malnutrition, especially among vulnerable groups, such as rural children and the aged. Bangladeshis consume about 12.0 g of pulses per capita per day, far below the 45 g per day recommended by FAO/WHO (Islam and Ali, 2002). Meat production, including fish, has declined consistently in recent years, so animal sources of protein are also priced beyond the reach of the poor.

Publication no. 2003/1
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Almost one third of the world’s population consists of Asian farming households. Across the continent, hundreds of millions of families make at least part of their living from small-scale agriculture. Among developing countries in the region, the proportion of the population engaged in agriculture lies between 42% in Indonesia and 96% in Nepal. Most of these farming families are small holders.

Small farmers are the bedrock of Asian economic development. Because of the importance of small farmers as producers of each nation’s food and industrial raw materials, as consumers of goods and services and as citizens, success in economic development largely hinges on the viability of smallholder agriculture and the vibrancy of social, economic and cultural life in rural areas.

Small farmers generally practise mixed farming and most raise small stock. By producing and raising a diversity of products and animals, farmers spread their risks, decreasing the impact of lowered production in one of their endeavours. The majority of householders in Asia live in rural environments and raise poultry, usually chickens that are relatively cheap to buy and require very few inputs. Asia is home to 46% of the world’s chickens and 85% of the world’s ducks. For example, in Myanmar there are 35 million village chickens (86% of the total chicken population) that are kept throughout the country with flock sizes varying from 1 to 15 chickens. There are approximately 120 million chickens in Viet Nam and most of the national flock (75%) is kept at home: as village or backyard chickens. About 95% of the total chicken population in Viet Nam consists of local chicken breeds. In Bhutan, village chickens are kept throughout the country and constitute approximately 86% of the national poultry flock.

Improving the production of village chickens leads directly to improved food security for the households raising the chickens and indirectly to improved food security in the surrounding community as poultry products become more readily available. It is generally acknowledged that poultry production is the most efficient and cost-effective way to increase the availability of high-protein food.