Pathetic Plight of Farming Administration
Restoring Past glory of Telangana Agriculture
EVERYTHING YOU NEVER WANTED TO KNOW
{Learning Lessons in my Life-2}
VANAM JWALA NARASIMHA RAO
To be truthful, the earliest lessons in Administration, that I learnt were through the ‘Archetypical Agriculture Management,’ and allied activities as well as ‘Few Best Practices of Feudal in Appearance, but benevolently Accessible, and Available Village Administration’ that included ‘Executive, Legislative and Judiciary Governance.’ Unfortunately, the ‘Modern Management of Agriculture through Shocking Mechanization’ has totally taken the life out of village. Similarly, the otherwise well meaningful Panchayati Raj System for Village Administration has turned out to be a mere ‘Power Mechanism’ than ‘Development Mechanism’ as dreamed by Jawaharlal Nehru and SK Dey, resulting in absence of impartial and neutral decisions at village level.
‘Idiosyncrasies’ of some of the ‘Dangerous Half knowledge Politicians’ at the Helm, time and again claiming that they were born and brought up in a rural background, nevertheless extremely comfortable in wearing modern trousers (Pant-shirt of Khadi, Handloom, and sometimes Jeans) have ‘Reengineered Farming Against Nature.’ Agriculture is literally even compulsorily subjected to ‘One Exclusive Paddy Crop’ thanks to unwieldy Irrigation Projects, entirely spoiling the echo system. ‘Farming Administration’ is totally dead. ‘Mechanization, Migration, and Urbanization’ are playing havoc with otherwise tranquility village life.
When Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, with whom I had the privilege of working as CPRO for about ten years, and having closely noticed his observation on many aspects including ‘Agriculture’ reinforced time and again, the essentiality of ‘Regulatory Farming’ in the state, it connected people like me, who lived with the agriculture decades ago. In whichever position such people may be living now, the olden days, the past memories will inflate afresh.
Having lived three full years after my Graduation Studies in my village in late 60s, and subsequently periodically visiting, I have unable to comprehend, whether to use the term ‘Progressively’ or the term ‘Degressively’ about the ‘Sea Change’ in the village. I have no clue, but visit after visit I find ‘My Dearest Village Life’ transformed from bad to worse and to worst. Whom to hold responsible, for the ‘Pathetic Plight of Administration’ in villages is worth a M Phil Thesis.
The wonderful village atmosphere pervading and prevailing then, with agriculture playing a pivotal and predominant role was simply great. The implements associated with farming, skilled people with expertise to take up works related to agriculture in time, and those villagers despite being illiterate but having knowledge and wisdom to predict the suitability of crop for a particular soil and season for more profitability were all god sent gifts then.
As part of the agriculture sector undergoing sea change in the last century responding to everchanging technological advancements as well as the expansion of the global market, it has become a challenge to be in the profession, more so for negligible returns on investment. In the place of human and natural resources and organic manures, there came machines, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides. Notwithstanding the fact that yield of the crops increased due to technology, the climatic equilibrium took a beating and health hazards became order of the day. Income on Increased Yield became essential to invest on fertilizers in the subsequent years.
Recalling and recollecting the village rural atmosphere of half-a-century ago, several sweet memories will haunt the yester year farmer. The rich and green paddy fields, flower gardens decked up with jasmine, mango groves, maize orchards, red Chilli fields, the spacious open well where we learnt swimming and drank water unhesitatingly, jowar fields, the cucumber creepers, the plough, the temporary made five-six feet height platform (Manche), oxen, cows, goats, heaps of dry grass, drinking water well at the house, Lemon and Banana trees adjoining the well fed with used well water, the churning of butter and butter milk at the backyard of the house, eating the fresh butter, eating overnight cooked rice with yoghurt (Curd) Cream mixed with mango pickle in the morning when it was cooled, placing the cots outside the house in the evening after cleaning the ground with water, sleeping on the cot and looking at the stars on the vast sky up, and a host of these pictures emerge and give an enjoyable feelings to one.
Since ancient days the agriculture based rural society is an extension of land dependent habitation. Five-Six decades ago ‘Farming Administration’ every year commenced with the advent of summer. The agriculture operations normally take off in the beginning of summer season. Preliminary activity was transporting organic fertilizer, a mix of (Owned) cattle dung or manure (‘Compost’ when modern techniques replaced the older ones) stored in a separate place used to be earmarked to stock the manure, little away from the residences, to the fields.
In addition to this, manure used to be bought from those who had no land of their own. All the payments were necessarily in the form of grain, some sort of barter system with no cash transactions (Akin to the present-day Cashless Transactions). A lot of cattle particularly the sheep were also kept on the fields day and night for the manure collection. Even this was at a price. The manure thus collected was the organic fertilizer for the farm. Added to this, the silt taken out from the tanks was also transported to the farmlands.
The transportation of manure used to start in the early hours of morning by getting the cart loads ready. During the ‘Moon Light Days’ the transportation on ‘Bullock Carts’ equipped with a ‘Bamboo Make Container’ until ‘Tractor Trolleys’ replaced them, was carried on either by servants of ‘Land Lords’ and in some cases of ‘Medium Farmers’ or Owners of ‘Marginal and Small farms’ with tremendous enthusiasm and pride. After transporting the manure to the farmlands till midday, people were coming back to homes for lunch, and rest a while, and then continued in the evenings till late in the nights. This continued till the early rains of the monsoon. Even after the onset of monsoon whenever there was stoppage of rains this activity went on.
It was a fantastic experience and only those who experienced it will be able to thrill about it. Fortunately, I was one among them. Gone those Golden days. Gradually the cattle disappeared, followed by disappearance the natural manure, and then the bullock carts. Soon the farmer was made ‘To Stand in Long queues’ in front of Fertilizer and Pesticide Shops, left with no option, and often unaware of whether they would get spurious or genuine stock or no stock, despite tall promises by successive governments.
Five-Six decades ago, in most villages, on or couple of days before ‘Ugadi’ (The Telugu New Years’ Day) large farmers and some medium farmers initiate the process of engaging ‘Agriculture Labor Employees’ called as ‘Paleru’ or ‘Servant’ on an annual wages basis, the payment of which invariably be in some sort of ‘Food Grain’ like paddy, Jowar etc. There was a ‘Hierarchy and Span of Control’ in ‘Agriculture Style Uncharacteristic Administration’ among these annual wage-based employees, in work allotment and execution, criterion being age, experience, skill, and knowledge of various farming and managerial techniques. An elderly person and comparatively more capable than others, played the supervisory and controlling role. This is ‘Another Lesson’ I had Learnt in Administration.
An automatic seasonal change was seen in the farming activity with commencement of ‘Southwest Monsoon’ and early rainfall. Plowing of fields with wide range of indigenous agricultural tools, totally made by the local skilled carpenter, engaged in hereditary profession, was the first step. Before use, they would be subjected to ‘Overhauling.’ Then preparing wet lands for paddy or Rice cultivation, and dry lands for crops like groundnut, jowar, red gram etc. was the practice. The planning was so meticulous, that, with the amount and frequency of rainfall the farming activity was shifted from wet lands to dry lands and vice versa.
As required for paddy cultivation, much in advance, seeds were sprinkled in a ‘Systematic manner’ in the paddy fields, which were sprouted and grown to couple of inches height, before they were plucked and transplanted. Seedling to raise paddy nurseries, tilling of the soil with ploughs and the works on the field was in tune with the nature of rains. Groundnut and Red gram were the intercrops. Paddy was cultivated when there was adequate water in the tanks. Later they preferred Jowar. Before transplanting the paddy saplings, the entire land was tiled with ploughs. In general women transplanted the Paddy saplings.
They always did the work with tremendous enthusiasm by singing songs and cracking jokes among them. The normal practice was that, the village low-income women folk did this. The way they used to pass on the bunch of seedlings from one and to another, was a spectacular scene. This art and panoramic scenario is totally extinguished. Not only this, but also, activities like weeding, mowing, nesting, threshing, fermenting etc. all vanished. Entire traditional process of Harvesting is subjected to mechanization. Good or Bad, God alone knows!!! Nonetheless, the age old ‘A to Z Paddy Farming’ was a Learning Lesson in Life. The entire panoramic scene to watch is missed for ever and ever.
After the transplantation, water was supplied in phases. Sometimes farmers used to go in the nights to water their fields by turns. After paddy plants reached a specific height, weed was removed. After three or four months, when the crop was ripe, harvesting was done. At a convenient time, crops were harvested, collected, and brought home. People always slept overnight in the field for the entire process of work. Labor wages were paid in the form of paddy. It was only the ‘Stream water flown in the canals from tank, that was used as drinking water. No mineral water at all!!!
The groundnut farming was a little bit different. Cropping of Groundnut was an experience in itself and ‘absolutely had no match.’ Organizing Seeds was the first step that commenced with breaking groundnuts. It used to start with preparing the seed. Farmers used to call labor home and ask them to take out the seeds from the groundnut harvested last year. Some of these works were outsourced to the labor who worked from home. Every day by evening the labor based on their expertise would take out a pot or two filled with the seeds. Paddy was given as their wage. While picking up the seeds some of the groundnuts used to break into pieces, which were made as edible oil. Groundnut was the major crop.
After preparation of soil, seedling (propelling seeds in to the soil) was followed in a typical style, a process in which parallelly one ‘Highly Skilled Person’ would handle ploughing and side-by-side another ‘More Highly Skilled Person’ would handle seedling, and none of them could afford to commit even a small mistake. Normally Red Gram seeds would be mixed in the groundnut seeds. Jowar, Green Gram etc. cropping was also an experience to cherish. All these have negligible or almost no place now. Vegetable farming and horticulture in typical old style is completely missing now.
The harvesting is done by pulling out the plants and separating the groundnut from the roots. Seedling groundnut seeds in combination with Red Gram, through the plough in to the land was a high skilled job and only very few people were able to do it. Groundnut crop would come for harvesting first and the red gram would come two months later. Once the groundnut plants reached a specified height, they were skillfully tamed by the plough, which is also an art by itself.
Only few farmers had the required measurements to measure the crop. The entire produce was measured with great precision. The produce was stored in special enclosures in the house. Paddy was sold at a proper time in the markets. Separate sacks of paddy were kept aside to use as seeds the next year. Very fascinating fact was that paddy heaps which were of lakhs of rupees of value were kept open in the fields by farmers without worrying about any theft.
After harvesting every crop, either Rice or Groundnut or any other, required quantity out of produce was preserved separately as ‘Seeds.’ These days seeds supply is monopoly bossiness. There was no habit of buying the seeds then. There was very less use of Chemical fertilizers or pesticides. When the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides started, keeping aside a portion of the yield for seeds was also given a go bye. Desirous of high yielding varieties, buying of seeds in the open market had begun. Now there is no option.
Some farmers preferred red Chilli and some the Tobacco cultivation. Some for Maize, some for edible roots etc. Some even were growing cauliflower, cabbage etc. Mangos’ groves were also part of the farm sector. In the fields cucumber creepers were present. People used to eat the raw cucumbers. Green gram used to be eaten after roasting them on fire. Estates used to have an open well. Drawing water from these open wells using oxen was also a skilled one. It was also a fun.
The good olden days for farming should come back. The over use of fertilizers and pesticides should be stopped. The seeds required for each village should be produced in the village itself. Based on the wise advice given by the Agriculture Extension Officers, farmers should cultivate the crops. If agriculture to become profitable, there is no other choice but to go in for Regulatory Farming.
Every village was an ‘Independent Republic.’ Villagers were settling disputes in the village itself by and large through ‘Elders.’ Early in the morning hours ‘Atypical Judgements’ with regards to variety of village disputes either between two or more individuals or groups pertaining to civil or criminal nature or even both, were being delivered. Elders of the village, the Patel, Patwari, Mali Patel, others including respected elders even from backward and Dalit communities comprised the ‘Bench.’ In my village the normal practice was that, they assembled outside one of the elder persons’ house, seated on a five-six feet length rectangular shaped ‘Indigenous Stone Seating’ or at a centrally located place (Ratcha Banda), often over brushing teeth with a ‘Neem Stick.’
The Panchayat Raj system brought new trends in the village political and social life style. Position and influence of ‘Village Elders’ diminished. Abolition of ‘Hereditary Watandari System’ further curtailed their ‘Benevolent Impact.’ A zigzag new official machinery came in to operation. Watandari Persons who continued to stay in villages, despite removal, on their volition, were always available to the villagers for help. But few years later, they also disappeared. With the abolition of Watandari System the ‘Village Public or rather Revenue Administration’ was totally wrecked.
Meanwhile, a Goldsmith, Carpenter, Provisions Selling Vysya, Brahmin Pujari, Weaver, Blacksmith, Potter, Mochi, Bangle Seller etc. who lived decades ago, in every village, whose primary livelihood was hereditary vocation, by and large satisfying needs of villagers in their own way and commanding respect, migrated to nearby towns to live, with ruining of ‘Village Administration.’
Rythu Bandhu or the Agricultural Investment Support Scheme
The history of agriculture in India dates back thousands of years. Agriculture has undergone significant developments and shifts over the past century in response to new technologies and due to development of world markets. Human labor is replaced by synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Technological improvements also caused ecological damage and negative human health effects to some extent.
Telangana is situated on the Deccan Plateau and two important rivers of India, the Godavari, and Krishna flow through the state for providing irrigation. Apart from major rivers, there are small rivers such as Tunga Bhadra, Bhima, Dindi, Kinnera Sani, Manjira, Manair, Penganga, Pranahita, peddavagu and Tali Peru. Telangana has a predominantly hot and dry climate. Summers start in March and peak in May. The monsoon arrives in June and lasts until September. The normal rainfall is from the southwest monsoons but also gets considerable rains from cyclones.
Various soil types abound in Telangana, including chalkas, red sandy soils, dubbas, deep red loamy soils, and very deep soils. Rice is the major food crop and staple food of the state. Other important crops are Maize, Tobacco, Mango, Cotton, and Sugar cane as well as mangoes, oranges, and flowers. However, with Iinterest in cultivation decreasing day by day, agriculture is facing crisis. There is scarcity of persons in farming and related activities. Farm labour migration and diversion to other trades also posed a threat to agriculture. In the technology-based world, the younger generation is looking at public and private sectors for employment opportunities, as they are offering reliable sources of income, whereas agriculture is seen as a non-profitable one.
Only a minor section of people are getting into farming. After the present-day generation who are experts in farming activities like paddy transplantation retire, probably it may be impossible to find replacement to them. Mechanization and Micro Irrigation to some extent may be an answer to sustain agriculture. Against this background we may try to understand the agony of Telangana farmer. It is a known fact that the agrarian crisis is not limited to Telangana or India but has become an international phenomenon. As long as human race exists there has to be agriculture because one has to eat for survival. Ideally speaking, the present farming is not in tune with advanced trends and overall needs.
The First Government of Telangana headed by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, during my tenure as CPRO to CM, initiated few essential steps to address the agrarian distress aimed at reviving the farm sector in the State and to revamp the rural economy by reviving the traditional activities such as, sheep rearing, fisheries, dairy, etc. KCR had done lot of thinking and had extensive discussions with Agriculture Scientists and farmers.
For the first time in the country, KCR launched ‘Investment Support Scheme for Agriculture’ in the State known as path-breaking ‘Rythu Bandhu’ Scheme (Initially Rs 8000 per acre and later enhanced to Rs 10,000 per acre), redefining the future of agriculture sector in the country, on May 10, 2018. Another scheme announced from the same platform was the insurance coverage of Rs 5 lakhs to each farmer, known as ‘Rythu Bhima.’
Rythu Bandhu scheme attracted nation-wide attention with several other state governments showing interest in its implementation. The investment support scheme has also received strong support from eminent economists in the country. Three brilliant articles on the Rythu Bandhu Scheme which was being successfully implemented in Telangana, described it as future of agricultural policy and as a ‘Beacon of Hope in the area of Farming.’ One article by Arvind Subramanian was published in Financial Express, the other also by him published in the Asia Edition of Economist, and the third one by Neelkanth Mishra published in the Business Standard.
Arvind Subramanian in his article ‘Rythu Bandhu can be the social and agriculture policy template’ mentioned that, Telangana’s ‘Rythu Bandhu Policy’ was an embryonic UBI (Universal Basic Income) or rather an embryonic QUBI (Quasi-Universal Basic Income) and it could potentially also be the ‘Future of Agricultural Policy in India.’ The Economist singled out Telangana’s ‘Rythu Bandhu’ as a beacon of hope and described it as ‘A Project that could lead to the Phasing out of less efficient subsidies.’
Elaborating his concept Arvind Subramanian wrote: ‘India will never provide basic income that is literally universal. Our politics will never countenance government cheques being sent to the rich. But, government transfers to everyone except those at the top are a serious policy contender. And, such a scheme would be a QUBI. More generally, QUBIs are schemes in which transfers are given to everyone who meets an easily identifiable criterion. That is, they are Universal within a clearly identifiable category. In the ‘’Rythu Bandhu Scheme’’ that category is all farmers who own land. This criterion can be applied because Telangana has titled nearly all land holdings and has done so in an impressive fashion, without serious controversy or contestation, in a short time.’
‘Rythu Bandhu is mainly intended as an agricultural rather than a social policy. In fact, viewed from this perspective, it could be the future of agricultural policy. Rythu Bandhu has three critical advantages. First, the surfeit of state capacity or administrative apparatus as well as financial resources-and all the patronage and corruption and inefficiency-devoted to administering the plethora of schemes for good, bad, and all states-of-the-world could be economized on. Second, farm income could be decoupled from production, avoiding the serious distortions that have been created, especially from over-production of cereals (rice stocks are becoming pest–infested mountains) and the over-use of water and fertilizers. Third, the magnitudes that can be transferred can be increased so that farm incomes can be augmented substantially and quickly.’
Neelkanth Mishra in the Business Standard in his article titled ‘A bold experiment for a tough problem’ said that there is much in favor of Telangana’s Rythu Bandhu Scheme. Elaborating his idea, he said that, ‘the more ambitious scheme of KCR was the “Rythu Bandhu or the Agricultural Investment Support Scheme.” He Distributed cheques to nearly 6 million farmers. This is not really Universal Basic Income, but there are no conditions other than land ownership. The farmland owner gets the benefit irrespective of whether the land parcel is fallow or crop-worthy, whether the farmer intends to plant a crop or not, and whether this money is used for agricultural investment or just for consumption. According to the government, the absence of conditions is to obviate discretion at the lower levels of administration, to avoid leakage: a pragmatic assumption.’
Telangana’s Rythu Vedikas truly empowering farmers
More than anything, the best decision that was conceived, defined, designed, developed, and most successfully implemented by first Telangana CM KCR, when I was his CPRO, was undoubtedly formation of the Historical ‘Telangana Rythu Vedikas’ that have displayed the collective might of farmers.’ Delving into the details: I very well remember the day when first of these 2,601 Rythu Vedikas (Or Farmers’ Platforms) in the state was inaugurated in 2020. They have been over a period, yielding desired results. The initiative has been a ‘Path-Breaking Role Model’ in the areas of agriculture, while being hailed by many nationwide, for being a revolutionary step that was set to change the contours of the farming sector.
Agriculture is a way of life and tradition that has shaped the culture and economic life of people of Telangana and continues to be the focal point, to all the strategies for planned socio-economic development of the Telangana state. Agriculture plays an important role in economy of Telangana and the better performance of this sector is vital for inclusive growth. For boosting agriculture production Telangana Government of KCR deployed one ‘Agriculture Extension Officer (AEO)’ for every 5000 acres (Cluster) and then felt the need to create a ‘Platform for the Farmers to Assemble, Share their Ideas, Experiences, and Assimilate Knowledge on Latest Technologies’ which the changing times have become ‘INEVITABLE.’
Accordingly, it was decided to construct 2601 Rythu Vedikas-2462 Rural and 139 Urban-in all the ‘Agriculture Extension Officer’s Clusters’ at an estimated expenditure of Rs.22 Lakhs for each Rythu Vedika towards the construction cost. Rythu Vedikas are the first of its kind in India where a platform is created for the farmers to organize themselves in to groups for attaining their ultimate objective of getting the ‘Remunerative Prices, Better Marketing Facilities, Higher Productivity and ultimately making the Agriculture Profitable.’ They were also aimed to help the farmers to organize themselves into a ‘Formidable Group’ to protect their rights. As on date construction of all the Rythu Vedikas are completed.
The Rythu Vedikas were provided with tap water connections, electricity service connections, furniture, and maintenance costs. Rythu Vedikas during the course of time, would be connected across the state through optical fiber network of T-Fiber by ITE&C department. The AEOs working from the Rythu Vedikas were utilizing them their office also. Rythu Bandhu Samithi members are also working from Rythu Vedikas. Rythu Vedikas have been functioning through 3 verticals manned by qualified staff. They are Delivery of Services, Capacity Building and Knowledge Dissemination; Farmer Advisories; and Service Center for all Government schemes.
Delivery of services include: Crop Booking, Enrolment of farmers under Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bhima, PM Kisan etc. and Implementation of various state and center sponsored schemes by selection of farmers. Capacity building includes Region specific and crop specific Training programs to create awareness to the farmers; Training of the farmers on identification, advantages of natural enemies and timely application of inputs to harness the higher yields; Emphasis to empower the farmers by adopting good agricultural practices duly emphasizing the critical stages of a crop and decision making in his own field; and to confine the Pesticide and insecticide usage duly protecting the natural enemies. As part of knowledge dissemination, trainings and field diagnostic visits and demonstrations will take place.
Apart from this ‘Timely Farm Advisories’ to farmers on pests and disease outbreak, Weather updates, Market Prices, Availability of Seeds, Fertilizers etc. at Rythu Vedikas in Coordination with Agriculture University, IMD, TSDPS etc. to reduce the losses were being done. Rythu Vedikas are serving as service center for all Government schemes at cluster level by disseminating the latest guidelines, feedback of farmers and for making the schemes more reachable to the farmers there by achieving the ultimate objective of making ‘Rythe Raju or Farmer the King.’
Agriculture and Horticulture Universities, National level institutes like WALAMTARI, DRR, DOR as well as State and National Institutes on Agriculture and allied departments are utilizing the Rythu Vedikas for their programs benefiting the farmer. The passion, courage, vision, determination, and devotion of CM KCR to usher in a qualitative, quantitative, and expressive farm policy were aimed at eradicating all agrarian problems, adversaries, and ill effects of farm sector and make it a profitable sector forever. More than the stated aims and objectives, the Rythu Vedikas have become synergy to bring in a transparent, people-friendly, and progressive change in the governments to come.
Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has unveiled his vision for the Rythu Vedikas’ role in the Telangana state by asserting that they should become a formidable force not only to change the farm sector for good but also should become focal centers to determine the change of governance. He also wanted farmers to utilize the Rythu Vedikas to stall attempts by the Centre to thrust upon the anti-farmer and pro-corporate Farm Acts that were brought in forcibly and later withdrawn by the union government.
Inaugurating Rythu Vedika, the Chief Minister made a passionate plea to farmers to utilize the Rythu Vedika and the opportunity provided by the government to become a united force and charter the course of their profession in the way it is profitable and comfortable. He envisaged that through Rythu Vedikas, farmers at a later stage would be able to determine which crops they should cultivate, what price they should fix for their produce and how to market them for greater profitability. The very concept of Rythu Vedika, can be found nowhere in the world or in the country, where farmers were organized. This Telangana Model is the first of its kind step to make farmers united and a formidable force since the farmers by and large in our country and worldwide were left to themselves.
If all goes well with the succeeding governments, one day the Rythu Vedikas should become catalysts for a better change. It may not be an exaggeration, if every farmer in the state with the extraordinary support provided by governments irrespective of party affiliations, rises to the occasion, and ultimately reach a stage where he should be able to clear all his dues and have about couple of Lakhs of Rupees of funds with him as savings to invest into his cultivation on his own without taking any external financial support.
First of its kind ‘Telangana AgHub’ Model
Agriculture has been a way of life and tradition that has shaped the culture and economic life of people of Telangana and continues to be the focal point, to all the strategies for planned socio-economic development in the state. The sector had undergone sea change in the last century responding to everchanging technological advancements as well as the expansion of the global market. However, this unorganized sector was totally neglected due to poor agricultural reforms over a period post-independence, that led Agriculture into a crisis. After formation of Telangana state, the situation bettered and improved meaningfully and impressively thanks to some measured initiated by KCR.
Until four-five decades ago, when every village in our country functioned as a Republic in itself, Agriculture was seldom considered as a mere profitable vocation. It was more a profession, a passion, a way of life and a facility mechanism. With majority of the population dependent directly or indirectly on agriculture, the entire village economy flourished and thrived on a convenient barter system. Each village produced mainly for its needs and nobody gave a thought for any surplus production. Every farmer, big and small, had some sort of a storage mechanism that included storage of seeds for the next year.
There was no concept of buying seeds. Gradually with the advent of market-based economy, agriculture produce started moving out of the villages, to the nearby markets. Problems to farmers commenced with middlemen, traders and agents entering the system. This gave rise to commercialization and the producer of an agriculture product became dependent on outside market even for his needs. After formation of Telangana the state government made several attempts to bring in a much desirable change in the farm sector.
The pro-farmer and pro-agriculture schemes like Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bhima, Rythu Vedikas, Rythu Bandhu Samithis, 24-hour free power supply, increased irrigation facilities through projects, and host of other schemes were initiated by KCR government. Area of irrigation increased multifold as well as huge increase in production. Alternate cropping pattern further helped the farmer. All this helped farmer to double and triple their incomes. Thus emerged Telangana Model.
As part of several review meetings on agriculture connected issues, in one such meeting held during third week of August 2015, about 14 months after KCR sworn in as CM, in which I participated as CPRO to CM, the importance of Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agriculture University (PJTSAU) was discussed thoroughly in depth. It was the consensus then that, the University should play a vital role in evolving a strategy to bring back the past glory of agriculture in Telangana by strengthening research activity in the university. It was also agreed that ‘Every Bit of Land’ in the state was to be subjected to soil testing and the details were to be computerized. Different places in Telangana were to be divided in to particular crop colonies.
Apart from this, the KCR suggested that, the ‘Agricultural University’ should also undertake extensive research on mechanization aspects. Students of the university should be given free hand in doing research. They should be on the move to interact with farmer on go forward basis. The University should have a clear idea of soil, technique, crops, and others available in each and every mandal of the state. It was also planned to set up a control room kind of campaign center in each mandal that addresses the problems of the farmers and giving quick solution to make things easy.
The earlier days when University played a crucial role in farming, and the kind of research, training camps and many were widely done in the campus were reminisced. The way farmers and officers were given special training to know about the latest methods in agriculture, for which the farmers in batches used to go to Agricultural University to learn about the advanced methods of farming was also recalled. Hence, it was decided to entrust the Agriculture University with the responsibility of restoring the faith in farmers and bring back the past glory.
Against this background and realizing the importance of research and innovation in Agriculture University and as an important and vital step, aiming at making new frontiers in the Food and Agribusiness Innovation landscape in Telangana, the ‘First of its kind Initiative’ of Agri Innovation Hub was conceived by PJTSAU. Shortly It had taken an ideal shape. The vision of AgHub was to emerge as a world class center, that promotes innovations and entrepreneurship in ‘Agri-Food Systems’ through mentoring, piloting, and facilitating access to market, research, and investment. As part of this the incubator was funded by ‘National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)’ and was functioning since October 2020.
AgHub is structured in Hub and Spoke model of the ‘Agri Innovation Centre’ where the Innovation Hub is housed in the PJTSAU campus at Hyderabad and caters to the promotion of innovation and entrepreneurship among the ‘Agri Tech Start-Ups’ and student entrepreneurs. The initiatives of the Hub among others include, four specially designed programs namely: ‘Incubation Program, Agri Tech Innovation Pilots (AIP), Co-Innovation and Enterprise Acceleration Program (EAP).’
As part of Incubation Program, start-up entrepreneurs who are venturing with ideas are offered product development support, customized scientific, business mentoring, advisory on regulatory issues, go to market assistance and fund-raising assistance. ‘Agri Tech Innovation Pilots’ the first of its kind program, validates the start-up technology through a soft-landing platform at real farm situation. Agri Tech start-ups can deploy their solutions on ground and avail scientific validation.
‘The Co-Innovation’ also the first of its kind program, offers early and growth stage start-ups to collaborate and co-create and co-develop technology offering jointly between a start-up team and agricultural scientists. Enterprise Acceleration Program is a distinct platform for the acceleration of growth stage enterprises and Small and Medium Enterprises in Agribusiness. ‘Significant Number of Food and Agri tech start-ups’ are being nurtured for the benefit of farming community in Telangana and India.
In accordance with the ‘National Educational Policy’ Agri Hub was building student entrepreneurship for young agricultural graduates in PJTSAU to inculcate the culture of innovation. This was probably the first ever program in any agricultural university in India with a three-month curriculum through ‘Design Thinking’ approaches and modules on entrepreneurship and translational research. Post ‘Design Thinking Program’ the pool of student design thinkers build their ideas under the Ideation Platform named ‘Idea Sprout.’
The ‘Rural Innovation Spokes’ across the State, in Jagtial, Warangal and Tandoor were planned to cater to the promotion of entrepreneurship and agribusinesses among rural youth, women, farmers, ‘Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs)’ and ‘Grass Roots Innovators.’ As a first initiative, series of awareness programs to promote rural entrepreneurship among rural youth, women, grassroots innovators, farmers and FPOs in Telangana were also undertaken. Agri Innovation Hub as planned moved fast to bring a new paradigm shift in Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education through its wide network and vibrant, converging platform. It sought to build a two-way bridge between urban-to-rural and rural-to-urban entrepreneurial pathways.
I very well remember that, on hearing the great work that was being taken up in PJTSAU, a USA based researcher and Director Corporate Development at Rain Oncology, California, Sri Ranga Yarlagadda (Also, incidentally son of a close friend Raghu Babu) during one of his trips to Hyderabad visited the university and had a ‘Deep and Engaging Discussion’ with the then CEO, AgHub Vijay Nadiminti. His instant impression was that the vision of AgHub was inspiring and game changer in the ecosystem.
Sri Ranga had a special praise for the AgHub’s commitment to help the entire ecosystem of start-up founders, student entrepreneurs, rural entrepreneurs, grass root innovators, farmers, agribusiness ecosystem through personalized attention and handholding. He said that having been exposed to other incubators in Silicon Valley and the USA, he can truly say that what the Telangana KCR Government was building in the state, was truly world-class! He was all praise for its functioning.
