Dear Dr. Arbind K. Choudhary , Thank you for this wonderful question - focused on the solution - to uplift the farmers in India (other countries).

As a son of a Farmer, I wish share some of the points in this discussion my experience, observation and opinion on this topic.

When my Father cultivated sugarcane, I requested him a little area (1 acre) to be left to grow naturally. No fertilizer, No pesticides, No special agri-procedure etc. for this (controlled) cultivated land but irrigation (routine) is as per schedule for all fields.

The result was like this from the natural production area we got 50 tonnes of sugarcane and the remaining are we got 75 tonnes (per acre). Though it looked a big different initially, in terms of monetary gain/profit the difference was Rs. 10000.

This, he has got after spending huge amount on fertilizer, pesticides and man power.

Based on this I feet that we should adopt a Zero budget agriculture - A concept vehemently suggested by Dr. Subhash Palekar and G. Nammalvar.

Suggestions:

1. Zero budget farming

2. Organic farming

3. Scientific farming schedule (based on demand forecasting & area of cultivation)

4. Better Irrigation management & rain water harvest

5. Value addition & direct marketing (if possible)

6. Seed selection

7. Plant grafting and budding.

Wish to hear more from Agri-scientist like you.

Thank you for the opportunity.

Warm regards Yoganandan G

Good question

Dear Dr. Arbind K. Choudhary , Thank you for this wonderful question - focused on the solution - to uplift the farmers in India (other countries).

As a son of a Farmer, I wish share some of the points in this discussion my experience, observation and opinion on this topic.

When my Father cultivated sugarcane, I requested him a little area (1 acre) to be left to grow naturally. No fertilizer, No pesticides, No special agri-procedure etc. for this (controlled) cultivated land but irrigation (routine) is as per schedule for all fields.

The result was like this from the natural production area we got 50 tonnes of sugarcane and the remaining are we got 75 tonnes (per acre). Though it looked a big different initially, in terms of monetary gain/profit the difference was Rs. 10000.

This, he has got after spending huge amount on fertilizer, pesticides and man power.

Based on this I feet that we should adopt a Zero budget agriculture - A concept vehemently suggested by Dr. Subhash Palekar and G. Nammalvar.

Suggestions:

1. Zero budget farming

2. Organic farming

3. Scientific farming schedule (based on demand forecasting & area of cultivation)

4. Better Irrigation management & rain water harvest

5. Value addition & direct marketing (if possible)

6. Seed selection

7. Plant grafting and budding.

Wish to hear more from Agri-scientist like you.

Thank you for the opportunity.

Warm regards Yoganandan G

Arbind K. Choudhary

Dear Professor,

Thank you for the beautiful topic of discussion.

These days there are plenty of low cost seeds, fertilizers, insecticides, pesticides being used in agriculture. In many parts of India, the provincial governments are providing farmers with free training and consultancy services. All these may be treated as low cost agricultural production technologies.

Whether their adoption can uplift the incomes of small and marginal farmers in India, remains a question. In the 1960 s there was a debate in Indian Economics. The major Indian economists of that era took part in that debate. Nobel laureate, Dr. Amartya Sen proposed an inverse relation between size of the land and its productivity. He was of the opinion that when farm size increases, the supply of the means of agriculture, do not necessarily increase in the hands of the farmers. So, a major portion of the land remain under utilized, thereby resulting into this inverse relation. Many economists supported him. They said that due to political, social, economical reasons the supply of the means of production does not increase in the hands of the farmers. Many a times, faulty and corrupt distribution strategies also played a significant role. These factors are existing in the present era also. That is why, a small and marginal farmer's income does not depend on use of low cost agricultural production technologies only. Hence, it cannot be said that adoption of low cost agricultural technologies cannot increase the incomes of the small and marginal farmers.

Best regards,

Anamitra.

Thank you very much for thies qeution

Dear Dr. Arbind K. Choudhary, I wish to appreciate Dr. Anamitra Roy for quoting the work of Noble laureate Dr. Amartya Sen.

In fact, Dr. Amartya Sen pointed out that on the one hand there is huge agriculture production and on the other hand there is poverty. Meaning - it (whatever produced) has not reached those who needed it - due to supply chain issues.

So, it is absolutely correct that the Farmers have (logistics) supply issues before and after their cultivation/production.

Warm regards Yoganandan G

Dear @Yoganandan G. Some of the points you enumerated may really become the components of low cost production technology. I appreciate your contribution.

Dear @Anamitra Roy In the introductory part of the discussion, it has been mentioned that only 46% of the small and marginal farmers have access to formal credit system. If low cost production technologies are made available to them, it would be great help to them. As Dr Yoganandan enumerated, some are really worth considering.

Dear @Mubashir Ali Rather and @Bushra Mahmood Alwan Thank you each one for showing your interest in this discussion.

Adoption of new agricultural technologies is always at the center of policy interest in developing countries. In reality, despite the visible benefits of many of the new agricultural technologies, including machinery and management practices, farmers either do not adopt them or it takes a long time to begin the adoption process and scaling up. A study conducted in Bangladesh demonstrated that the new technology must be modified to adapt to local demand and specifications and most importantly, the price of the new technology must be competitive with the prices of the existing available substitute technologies to ensure a rapid uptake and scaling up. Kindly check the following RG link:

Article Perception and adoption of a new agricultural technology: Ev...

The use of agricultural technologies determines how the increase in agricultural output impacts poverty levels and environmental degradation. Experience and evidence from countries within and around the sub-Saharan African region indicate that returns to agricultural technology development could be very high and far-reaching. The factors affecting technology adoption are assets, income, institutions, vulnerability, awareness, labor, and innovativeness by smallholder farmers. Technologies that require few assets, have a lower risk premium, and are less expensive have a higher chance of being adopted by smallholder farmers. There are certain traditional smallholder agricultural technologies in sub-Saharan Africa that also have their own merits. Some of these technologies are more efficient in their use of scarce production resources than modern technologies. Modern researchers should therefore seek to understand the rationale behind traditional smallholder farmer behavior in technology use. This will make their future technological interventions in smallholder agriculture more effective. Kindly check the following RG link:

Article The Impacts of Technology Adoption on Smallholder Agricultur...

I found this RG link, it may be useful:

https://www.researchgate.net/post/What_should_be_the_strategy_so_that_small_and_marginal_farms_sustainably_contribute_for_high_yields_incomes_and_livelihood

These other links I found, may be useful:

Chapter Innovation for Marginalized Smallholder Farmers and Developm...

https://www.indiawaterportal.org/articles/why-care-about-farmers

Dear Manal Hadi Kanaan I fully agree with you in that adoption of any new technology is directly related to cost and risk factors and the expected return. And precisely for these reasons low cost production technology merit special attention. The links provided by you are useful. Thank you for your significant contribution to the discussion. I really appreciate it.

It is interesting question

Dear @Abdulhadi Mohamed Jumaa Thank you so much.

One technology that allows lowering costs and intensifying land use are associated cropping systems, for example corn, beans and vegetables. Many topological arrangements can be devised for the planting and management of each species in the system.

Una tecnología que permite bajar los costos e intensificar el uso de la tierra son los sistemas de cultivos asociados, por ejemplo de maíz, frijol y hortalizas. Se pueden idear muchos arreglos topológicos para la siembra y manejo de cada especie en el sistema.

Dear @Mamerto Reyes Hernández Yes, your suggested example of corn- beans-vegetables can sustainably intensify the system productivity. But the system itself is cost intensive. Thank you for your contribution😊

But the association of crops does not have to be expensive, if the producer provides the seeds and the labor. Chemical fertilizer can be substituted with natural fertilizers made at home. Another way is to plant corn in normal rows and when it reaches the stage of green corn or corn with milky grains, it harvests two central rows and has a space left to plant a native vegetable, such as foliage amaranthus or Physalis philadelphica, I don't know what they could plant in India, but the cost of the entire system does not have to be as expensive as the sum of its components planted in monoculture.. In Mesoamerica, the cultivation of corn, beans and cucurbitaceae was the ancestral practice that sustained these cultures, even during the slavery imposed by the Spanish and subsequent serfdom. A reference to this is found in the book by Geronimo, the Apache war chief (Geronimo’s Story of His Life). Today many other species are associated and the systems have not only survived with us, but have become more diversified. But there is a key factor and it is the cultural one. If farmers have never made them, the thing becomes difficult and not adoptable.

Dear Mamerto Reyes Hernández Thank you for your contribution at this thread. I think the suggestions could pave the way for cost effective cultivation of crops.

For increasing the farmers income, cost should be reduced then farmers can get profit from farming. with leaving the traditional crops, new and high income source crop should also introduced by the farmers with the minimum cost.

Dear @Khem Raj Meena Crop diversification and changing cropping pattern from high input to low input ones can be one of the ways to enhance BC ratio. However, still there may be other components of farming systems! Thank you for your valuable contribution.