Today on May 14th 2017, I attended the silver jubilee celebration meeting of Jaiva Karshaka Samithi at Brahmanandodayam Higher Secondary School (BHSS) Kalady. This was started by CRR Varma and Prof. John C Jacob and had played an important role in popularizing organic farming in Kerala. Typically it used to be 3 days meetings, but this time it was just for a day and couldn't see many veterans like Dayal, Tony Thomas etc...But the next generation is pulling it along.
In the after noon session, there was a talk by Devinder Sharma, thought of sharing some of it which I still remember...The figures given here are from my memory, if there is any mistake can be corrected.
"Indian cow breeds are not given any respect here, but countries like Brazil has been exporting Indian breeds. Indian breed Gir produces milk of 75 litres per day, there"
"GDP growth means some destruction is happening, when trees are cut, GDP grows, rivers are polluted GDP grows, when you buy a car, fills the petrol and people get sick by environmental pollution GDP grows..."
Every year around 12,000-15,000 farmers commit suicide in India, but none of them are organic farmers. But if there is no decent income, soon even organic farmers will commit suicide. Minimum Support Price (MSP) of paddy for year 2016-17 was Rs. 1450 per quintal. Every year only a very nominal change was made, while goverment employer's salary is revised substantially.
In 1970's MSP of paddy was around 50/ per quintal.Forty six years later, MSP is fixed at 1450/- per quintal. This is an increase of 29 times. In the same period salary of government employees has gone up by 120 to 150 times, college teachers by 150 to 170 times and that of school teachers by 280 to 320 times and that of corporate employees by 300 times.
If we take up an 100 times increased, then the price of paddy should be 5100/- per quintal. Devinder Sharma is asking, why this is not done? Why the government is not protecting the interests of farmers while government employees are taken care of?"
He says, in the next election all parties should put this as the prime agenda. We all are responsible to make sure that this happens."
I found this to be an interesting thought....
In the after noon session, there was a talk by Devinder Sharma, thought of sharing some of it which I still remember...The figures given here are from my memory, if there is any mistake can be corrected.
"Indian cow breeds are not given any respect here, but countries like Brazil has been exporting Indian breeds. Indian breed Gir produces milk of 75 litres per day, there"
"GDP growth means some destruction is happening, when trees are cut, GDP grows, rivers are polluted GDP grows, when you buy a car, fills the petrol and people get sick by environmental pollution GDP grows..."
Every year around 12,000-15,000 farmers commit suicide in India, but none of them are organic farmers. But if there is no decent income, soon even organic farmers will commit suicide. Minimum Support Price (MSP) of paddy for year 2016-17 was Rs. 1450 per quintal. Every year only a very nominal change was made, while goverment employer's salary is revised substantially.
In 1970's MSP of paddy was around 50/ per quintal.Forty six years later, MSP is fixed at 1450/- per quintal. This is an increase of 29 times. In the same period salary of government employees has gone up by 120 to 150 times, college teachers by 150 to 170 times and that of school teachers by 280 to 320 times and that of corporate employees by 300 times.
If we take up an 100 times increased, then the price of paddy should be 5100/- per quintal. Devinder Sharma is asking, why this is not done? Why the government is not protecting the interests of farmers while government employees are taken care of?"
He says, in the next election all parties should put this as the prime agenda. We all are responsible to make sure that this happens."
I found this to be an interesting thought....
13 comments:
Thanks nandettan,
I couldnt meet you yesterday
Thanks nandettan,
I couldnt meet you yesterday
Hi Illias,
I had a glimpse of you, left by around 4 PM, we will meet in some other meetings...
Regards,
Nandan
1. If a cow (native or foreign) gives 75 liters of milk a day, what you get is not milk. I would avoid anyone who talks about breeding native cows that give lots of milk. Anything beyond a few liters per day is unnatural.
2. Any govt involvement, including setting up minimum support price, or purchase for FCI godowns, will never benefit the farmer. All govt interventions are to support more govt interventions (or big industries), that will increase costs directly or indirectly for the common man without benefiting the farmers. Govts can only interfere and increase costs for the small farmer, much like what the new GST is expected to do to the small industries.
-v
75 Ltrs of milk per day? - Well, try (or just imagine), to have half or even one third (25 ltrs) of that much in big plastic bag and hold it on the stomach and try to have natural movement. How do we feel? If that feels it's not natural then how can cow will have it natural? And we consider cow as HOLY MOTHER? Even is it natural to drink milk of anyone other than own mother? Let's give a thought why do we as human drink milk of other animals? Is it natural? healthy? Anyway human can turn anything as a business, so no wonder why cow is treated as factory to produce milk?
Thanks,
75 litres looks to be too high..just checked the net, it says, Gir cows gives 10-12 litres of milk, that looks to be more natural number. We just feed grass, straw, wheat husk and coconut oil cake to our cow and gets 1.5 litres. I don't like feeding them with hormones and artificial food and making them milk machines.
We can not make drastic changes in the system, so increasing minimum support price will help farmers for the time being. Earlier only private companies used to buy paddy from farmers and now government procure it at higher price and ask any farmer who makes a living from farming and they will tell it is beneficial. Government is just behind the vote bank and hence won't help farmers, but farmer has to depend on what ever they provide and shall become completely self sufficient.
There are many dairy farmers who makes a living from it, so I would support drinking milk minimally so that it won't effect your health that badly. Probably 2-2 teaspoons of milk for making a team won't do that harm and that will be a support for a farmer. Even the great farmer, Cherkady Ramachandra Rao says, he kept a cow and it fed their family for many years.
Thanks for the great discussion
Regards,
Nandan
Though I liked and very much agree on the income related issues and comparison of farmers income Vs Government employees salaries I think making cow a milk machine (75 L per day does not look practical) is not a right thing to do.
COOL BRO...I like your approach..
please have a view of my blog also..
www.buddhawoods.blogspot.in
Hi Srihari,
I also don't agree making cow a milk machine. Thanks for the comments..
Abimanue - Thanks, had a look at your blog too, good start, keep writing, I love to read others experience and also learn from it
Regards,
Nandan
Hi Nandan
Missed this one..had been busy with some maintenance work at home and preparations for next Paddy season. Kalady.. is just 25 min drive from my home. Missed an opportunity to meet you..
Anyway we'll meet sometime soon.
Regards
Subith
Hi Subith,
Didn't realise venue was that close to your place, otherwise would have informed you.
Let us meet sometime
Regards,
Nandan
Nice blog, thanks for sharing, very informative and useful, keep blogging like this. Agriculture company in Pune
Thanks Rahul.
Post a Comment