Two decades ago, on a car ride with late newspaper editor Dileep Padgaonkar, I referred to the hot new term ‘knowledge economy’ in reference to software and allied sectors when he interrupted: “Why can’t we refer to agriculture as part of the knowledge economy?” He said farmers knew much about their profession, but farming was not considered knowledge-intensive.
I wonder what he would say about new practices that have put the farmers’ traditional knowledge on a higher path with technology, entrepreneurial innovation, and new frontiers of knowledge. My thoughts on new-age agriculture were triggered by news of a Nagpur couple growing saffron in their home to garner `50 lakh or so per year using aeroponics techniques.
New-age practices, happening only in pockets, stand in contrast to frequent news of indebted farmers committing suicide after crop failures or loan pressures, protests about inadequate support prices and the politics of what is broadly called India’s agrarian crisis.
The Nagpur couple, Akshay and Divya Holey, recreated Kashmir-like conditions in their home after spending more than three months in the valley. But unlike conventional farmers, they use air and mist, not land, to grow saffron. They mix solar power with aeroponics, in which choice nutrients are directly fed into the roots of a plant. While they have trained more than 150 farmers across Maharashtra to join their league, there have also been reports of aeroponics used to grow saffron from Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and even Kerala.
Aeroponics is just one of the several options in new-age agriculture. Artificial fertiliser-free organic farming, greenhouse-grown climate-sensitive crops; hydroponics in which crops are grown in nutrient-rich water, and vertical farming, in which crops are “stacked” in controlled environments to boost production, are among a range of practices that are firing up entrepreneurial imagination.
When Devi Lal was India’s deputy PM and controversial agriculture minister in 1989-91, he frequently grabbed the headlines with ideas that seemed out of place but, in hindsight, ahead of his times. He spoke for smaller tractors after a visit to China and wanted a boost for Israel-style drip irrigation that actually guzzles electricity to conserve water.
Thanks to solar-powered water pumps and software-driven precision, I think some of his dreams are easier to realise now. Internet apps and data analysis platforms can now monitor crop health and guide precision farming, not to mention accurate weather forecasts.
Entrepreneurs find new ways to succeed if costs and benefits make sense. A few days ago, I watched a Tamil news channel show a fish farmer in Tamil Nadu who literally bought tonnes of watermelons at wholesale prices and emptied a truckload into a pond because that helps breed fish by the shoals!
Last year, there was news of Shashi Kumar, who quit a career in Wipro after 17 years to pursue his passion for organic farming and received high-profile venture capital that made headlines. The government of PM Narendra Modi, besides steering crop insurance and direct transfer of funds to farmers, has been advocating practices like the use of neem-coated urea that stretches the time available for plants to absorb nitrogen. That conserves urea, which India imports from half a dozen countries. The government is also reported to be including hydroponics, precision agriculture, and aquaponics in its new horticulture mission.
There are, of course, nagging questions on how a wide range of new-age practices can aid the average farmer. Agriculture startups like DeHaan, AgroStar, and Ninjacart treat farmers like entrepreneurs by using soil testing, distribution, and consulting practices. But we do need to ask if these startups are only latter-day middlemen or mentors to boost farm incomes.
A series of Indian websites now offer education on everything from quinoa cultivation to urban farming. I was impressed by one claim that said investing `7,000 per acre in the cultivation of quinoa can result in a 750-kg yield and fetch `75,000 in annual revenue. Online retail prices of quinoa, upwards of `450 per kg, seem to back this.
Exotic stuff can turn cheap if demand for fashionable food items like quinoa surges. I recently bought broccoli at a mere `20 a kg at my local mandi – an incredible journey from the 1990s when the vegetable was associated with expensive salads in five-star hotels.
Jitendra Ladkat, a Pune farmer, reportedly brought the first few broccoli seeds from Kenya during the Gulf War in 1990. That must join the league of various vegetables, such as mushrooms, considered of foreign origin or taste and are now readily available in India.
However, nothing can replace large-scale price support that can make farmers invest in new practices. In the 1990s, PepsiCo was compelled to meet special obligations as part of its entry into India. While that became part of a strategy to sell its cola, there is no doubt its agricultural push aided farmers by introducing contract farming for tomatoes and potatoes.
Ultimately, it is not technology but money that can help farmers reverse-swing from crisis to comfort. Without scalable incentives, farmers cannot quite go against the ubiquitous grain!
(Views are personal)
(On X @madversity)
Madhavan Narayanan | Senior journalist