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Showing posts from 2010

Alarm for irrigation

After the independence, thinkers, policy makers and planners gave importance to irrigation in agriculture. More than half of total output in agriculture was and is given to irrigation. If we see the table below, we can clearly analyze the situation of increasing scenario. Year Gross sown Net sown Gross irrigated Net irrigated Cropping intensity (%) area area area area 51-52 133234 119400 23180 21049 111.6 61-62 156209 135399 28460 24884 115.4 71-72 165186 139721 38430 31546 118.2 81-82 176750 141928 51412 40503 124.5 91-92 182244 141490 65097 49867 128.8 95-96 186561 142215 71510 53508 131.2 During my visit to villages especially Saurashtra and Coastal areas, I noticed that recently they have more than enough water to irrigate their crops. Whoever has the facility of irrigation, they are using water like anything. Even in coastal area, they knows the critical issue about the effect of saline water on land, they are using water mo...

Link between agri growth and GM crops

We know the whole issue of BT brinjal happening in India. Further detail you can access through Google also. But today our Agriculture Minister Shri Sharad Pawar gave statement in favor of Bt brinjal by saying that ‘to solve the country’s food security problem, Genetically modified crops are the option’. In recent years, Gujarat is doing well in agriculture sector. An average 9% growth in agriculture is recorded in Gujarat. Studies show that market access, crop diversification, Technical support, extention & credit, Large-scale irrigation, Decentralized groundwater recharge, Micro-irrigation, Farm power reform, Road and other infrastructure etc are the key drivers for this growth. Another important dynamism take attention of all researchers is bt cotton and wheat cultivation. Tushar shah mentioned in his article that massive increases in rabi wheat cultivation and a phenomenal expansion in Bt cotton area and yield seem to have been the prime drivers of the Gujarat growth story. I w...