Issues for Agricultural Development in Bihar

1. Issues for Agricultural Development in Bihar K.M.Singh and M.S.Meena ICAR-RCER, Patna Presentation in the Technical Advisory Committee meeting of BMGF funded Improved Rice-based Rainfed Agricultural Systems (IRRAS) project on 03.09.2012 at Patna, India

2. Changing Dynamics of the Global Food System • Agricultural productivity growth for most cereal crops has declined to less than 1% per year or even negative. • The production of biofuels has significantly distorted global food markets and prices. • Environmental issues like global warming are posing a serious challenge. • Fertilizer prices are now beyond reach of small and marginal farmers. • At the same time, economic growth, has substantially changed consumption patterns • And continuing population growth results in increasing food demand; therefore, • National food security has againbecome a major policy issue facing many countries including India.

3. Problems Confronting Agricultural Research and Extension Institutions • Both donor and government investments in agricultural research and extension have declined during the past two decades; the impact has been: • Most extension institutions have reduced staff numbers, little or no in-service training funds, and insufficient program resources. • Therefore, some development specialists, including donors, have concluded that public extension is, by nature, ineffective; therefore, it should be privatized. • However, where public extension systems have been strengthened, especially in India, they have been effective in diversifying farming systems.

4. Primary Agricultural Development Goals • Achieving National Food Security through technology transfer (diffusion of innovations) • Increasing farm income through a more market-driven extension system • Empowering men and women farmers by organizing producer groups (building social capital) to build more effective links with markets for HVPs • Encouraging the use of sustainable natural resource management (NRM) practices

5. Background: Changing Agricultural Development Goals • During 20th Century, the primary goal was to achieve national food security • Green Revolution technologies developed by NARS and CG Centers helped achieve this goal • However, rural poverty remains a serious problem (average farm size is <1 hectares for 90% of farm households • Natural resource management, especially sustainable use of land and water, are very serious and growing constraint. • Therefore, the strategy should be to focus on innovative approaches to increasing farm income among small-scale farm households by helping them diversify their farming systems through the use of land and water-efficient, high-value crop and livestock systems.

6. Bihar Agriculture • Bihar, third largest state with respect to population and seventh in terms of area.   • State supports 8.8 percent population of the country with only 2.8 per cent of land mass • About 69 per cent of geographical area is under cultivation • But one- third of geographical area faces various problems • Agriculture is an important sector and contributes about 16 per cent to State Gross Domestic Product • Agriculture also provides employment to 70 per cent of working force.

7. Bihar Agriculture • State is characterized by small land holders. • More than 90 % farm households are marginal with less than 1 ha land but own about 44% of cultivated land.  • Agriculture sector experienced a drastic change with respect to public investment, use of inputs, extension activities and crop-milk-fish production in recent years. • State government funding to agriculture gone up from less than Rs 200 crore during 2001-2006 to more than Rs 1,000 crore during 2006-2011. • State Agricultural GDP almost stagnant at Rs 32.5 billion during 1981-94 and its growth was negative in Ninth Five Year Plan (-1.4%) which turned positive in Tenth Five Year Plan (0.91%).

8. Bihar Agriculture • There was almost no growth in agriculture sector in Bihar during 1983-94. • During 1983-94 Net State Agricultural Domestic product stagnated at Rs 32.5 billion (at 1980-81 prices). • Per Capita income increased by only Rs 31 during the period i.e. from Rs 1003 (1983) to Rs.1034 (1994) • During 2004-11, State AgGDP grew at the annual growth rate of 2.7 per cent. • However, State Gross Domestic Product recorded growth of 10.9 per cent during the period which was higher than corresponding growth achieved at national level. • State agriculture sector achieved spectacular growth of 31 per cent in the year 2006-07.

9. Bihar Agriculture • However Bihar failed to maintain higher agriculture growth due to floods in 2007 and 2008, and drought in 2009 and 2010. • Despite drought, the state recorded the food grain production of 125 lakh tonnes and milk production of 63 lakh tonnes in 2010, indicating sustainability in agricultural production. • Agricultural production showed increasing trend during last five years. • Milk production increased from 3.0 million tonnes in 2004 to 6.3 million tones as 2010-11 • Fish production also increased from 0.027million tones in 2004-05 to 0.030 tones in 2010-11

10. Bihar Agriculture Problem area or Hidden Opportunities?

11. Growth in SGDP and SAgGDP in Bihar during 9th ,10th and 11th five year plans (in %)

12. Area, Production and Productivity of Principal Crops in Bihar A=Area in Million ha., P=Production in Million Tons, Y=Yield in Qtls/ha.

13. Incidence of Poverty in Bihar vs. India (during last 30 Years)

14. Public Sector Extension Department of Agriculture • Present in all districts, up to Block, Panchayat • Staff numbers low; weak research link; top-down, linear • Perform non-extension duties & implement schemes Krishi Vigyan Kendras (ICAR) • Present in all districts, multi-disciplinary team • Staff low; partnerships/linkage rare; local coverage only State Agricultural Universities • Lab to land, frontline extension in few adopted villages or near location (farmer reach limited) • Weak partnerships and links between ICAR and Dept of Ag

15. Innovations in public sector extension in 10th and 11th Five year plans • Support to State Extension Programs for Extension Reforms (SSEPER) -Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) • Agri-clinics and Agribusiness scheme • Kisan Call Centre

16. Main points……. • Public sector extension is mainly technology delivery system • Private sector/NGOs expanding in extension but limited geographic scope • ATMA (innovation), more process driven BUT lack of personnel until 2010 led to uneven implementation • Extension focus on disseminating technology • BUT farmer groups, linking to markets, sustainability, natural resource management are still the major areas of concern. • Also, lack of understanding of market-led, demand-driven extension among the people managing extension activities, a major challenge.

17. Changes to public sector extension because of ATMA • More funding for extension and personnel • Increased linkages between line departments and KVKs • Farmer participation & decision-making

18. Revised structure of ATMA 2010 Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) Governing Board ATMA Project Director W O R K P L A N F U N D F L O W ATMA Management Committee (AMC) Farm Information & Advisory Centers (FIAC) Farmer Advisory Block Technology Committee (FAC) Team (BTT) Para Input Private NGO Farmer Interest Groups (FIGs) or Women Interest Groups (WIGs) Organizational structure during pilot Source: Singh,K.M., 2006

19. Bihar Experiences • ATMA dovetailed with Dept of Agriculture however autonomy is an issue (worried about duplicity) • ATMA funding mechanism good/easy and implemented • Added exclusive district staff through state funding (2007), hired Panchayat staff (4000) and farmer adviser (Kisan Mitra) • Activities production focus, technology dissemination state/district activity > block activity (e.g. SRI=state) • FAC, appreciated by farmers as a platform to share problems but has potential to become more of a socio-political entity (Fear of elite capture real) • Block Agriculture officer overworked – FAC/BTT not meeting monthly, as envisaged in project • Partnerships with other line departments, private sector, civil societies and NGOs weak

20. Additional Manpower for extension Note: This is in addition to existing staff strength of 4500 with Department of Agriculture out of sanctioned strength of 8730 in Bihar.

21. Further considerations….. • Monitoring and evaluation of quality of activities, learning from processes, and impact • Enhanced funding to reach more farmers • More autonomy to decide on its activities • Capacity building on ATMA concepts to district/block level officers including BTT/FAC and • Qualitative strengthening of BAMETI • More focus on providing hand holding support to various farmer groups • Close linkages with SAUs/ICAR Institutes and KVKs • Along with Production focus, post-harvest and marketing should also be given equal importance

22. Some final points • Despite pluralism in ATMA concept: departments and sectors work in isolation • Needs to move beyond transfer of technology, • Evolve as contexts require: flexible, adaptive, learning • Strengthen link between ICAR - Dept of Agriculture • Encourage partnerships with private sector and NGOs. • Monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment lacking, with few empirical assessments. • Also experimenting and learning from new ways of organizing extension lacking

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