Investigation - How short-sighted Policies compromising National Food Security & Increasing Import Dependence?

Investigation - How Short-Sighted Policies compromising National Food Security and Increasing Import Dependence?

By: 

Vijay Sardana

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Competitiveness of Indian Agriculture is now at the mercy of importers and countries like China. If they increase the price of Agriculture inputs, there is no way the Government of India can control the input cost, because policies have ruined the domestic manufacturing. See what is happening to USA. Even President of USA is now at the mercy of China's political leadership.

These expensive inputs will also force the government to revise MSP because the cost of production (i.e. A2 and C2) will go up. This means subsidy burden will go up when the government is planning to pay 1.5 times of Cost of Production. Without creating manufacturing in India and without creating competition in agri-inputs, China will decide what should be the cost of input in India and in turn cost of production. Is this sensible policy approach for 1.3 billion population in the hostile environment.

Countries like China can ruin competitiveness of Indian Agriculture just by increasing the Export Tax or Environmental tax on agriculture inputs to India. With no manufacturing base in India for chemicals, Indian agriculture system will be taken for the ride by competing countries. Even WTO cannot do anything on this. This will lead to political unrest among farmers. 

These imported chemicals are forcing farmers to pay Rs. 50 to Rs. 500 per quintal extra, depending upon the chemicals applied. Millions of farmers are paying this much amount extra, calculate the profiteering because of this? If local manufacturing is allowed by registration of technicals, farmers will save about Rs. 100  per quantal. In turn subsidy burden will go down and income of farmers will go up.

The huge cost difference between imported and local made products are also forcing duplicate products into the market? Rationalization of prices by local manufacturing will cut sources of spurious products in the market.

Is this sensible approach for the country like India to put all eggs in one basket?

Are we ready to defend our interest or still sleeping?

The following notification was issued but never implemented under the pressure from vested interest. Now, vested interests have taken shelter of the court to delay the process. Court has not stopped from registration but someone in the department is playing with vested interests.  

There must be some 'Consideration' to do that, otherwise why the process was stopped. There must be an investigation who took the keen interest in subverting the process. These names are well known to all, investigate their income and acquired assets.

How much country is losing foreign exchange every year on off-patent products imports which can be made in India? 

Poor farmers of India are made to pay 3 to 5 times more for the products. Whose interests department is serving, interests of India or Interests of China?

This is the extra cost Indian farmers are paying just in 3 states for one crop. Data is from industry sources.

How much farmers will save if products are made in India. Are we doubling farmers income or importers income by illogical laws and poor enforcement?

Cartelization by Importers is forcing farmers to pay the premium for Off-patent products. Authorities sabotaging local manufacturing by supporting imports and discouraging local manufacturing by not following the law passed by the Parliament. Whose interests policy makers are protectimg farmers or importers? 

Can you imagine authorities are not able to tell the court why local manufacturing is vital for national interest? Is this logical? There is a classic case either there is serious incompetency in the department or there is massive corruption, what else can be the reason? In both the situations, the government must initiate the cleaning-up process of the department. 

Following products must be registered with immediate effect. Any delay in registration can be due to poor understanding in the department or due to bad intention or under pressure from vested interests. 

One day delay will cost the country Rs. 30 crores of foreign exchange and farmers are losing Rs. 100 crores by paying extra for agro-chemicals.

Till date farmers have lost Rs. 100,000 crores due to expensive imported chemicals which are not allowed to be 'Made in India'. 

No sensible country of the size of India will increase dependency on imports to ensure food security in the highly hostile neighbor in the unpredictable political world.

 Ensure registration of all imported technicals with any ifs and buts as per the law.