IRRIGATION

 India is among the most inefficient agriculture producers in the world and all major
crops. Agriculture consumes 83 per cent of India’s water resources.
 Even modest measures and technologies that have proved successful in other parts of
the world, if adopted in India, can lead to significant improvements in water
sustainability.
 A principle objective of the National Water Mission is to increase water use
efficiency by 20 per cent.
 Drip irrigation According to WRG, drip irrigation in India has a technical potential to
cover 37 million hectares by 2030, up from only around 2.5 million ha in 2005.
 Micro-Irrigation shows a 22 per cent to 40 per cent saving in water across different
horticulture crops.
 Practice of direct seeding should be encouraged instead of flooding technique which
is usually practiced in India for Rice.

BETTER STORAGE FACILITIES

 Storage facilities in the rural areas are either totally absent or inadequate. Under such
conditions the farmers are compelled to sell their produce immediately after the
harvest at the prevailing market prices which are bound to be low.
 The Parse Committee estimated the post-harvest losses at 9.3 per cent out of which
6.6 per cent occurred due to poor storage conditions alone.
 Establishment of warehouses The Food Corporation of India (F.C.I.), the Central
Warehousing Corporation (C.W.C.) and State Warehousing Corporation are among
the agencies appointed by government to establish new warehouses.

Targeting subsidies for equipment and fertilizers, seeds

 Compared to India China’s yield for rice is 39 per cent more than India and it utilises
30%less land.
 Increase in agriculture productivity through genetic improvement of food crops.
 Seed distribution and marketing
 Promotion of genetically modified seeds.
 Concession schemes for Fertilizers