1. Sowing Prosperity
Team Details
Sunil Kumar MN| Alan Bagya Praveen| Gokula Bala Sathish
Prabahar| Harinivash B|
Boosting Agricultural Productivity
The timely challenge for India

2. Current Scenario of agriculture in India
• The GDP share of agriculture in India has decline
to less than 14% over last 50 years
• Average agriculture growth is 3.7% during 11th
five year plan
• 42% of farmers are ready to quit agriculture
• More than 50% of population works on
agriculture
• 20 lakh hectares of cultivable land acquired for
non agricultural purposes
• Two thirds of India’s population depends on
rural employment
• 64% of cultivable land depends on monsoon
• Famers receive price 20% less than what the
consumer pays
0
20
40
60
1950 1970 1990 2000 2006 2009
GDP share
• About 120.72 million hectors of land is degraded due to
soil erosion
• 8.4 million hectors are lost due to water logging and soil
salinity
• Indian farmers receive less than 20% of price for what
the customers pay
• Indian total productivity growth remains below 2% per
annum
• Annually India is losing nearly 0.8, 1.8 & 26.3 million
tonnes of nitrogen, phosphorous & potassium
respectively
• Without innovative conservation techniques 12 million
hectors ( 20 million tones of grains ) are lost to
desertification

3. PRE
PRODUCTION
• Soil fertility
• Water scarcity
• Labour
• Awareness and techniques
DURING
PRODUCTION
• High quality seeds
• Irrigation facility
• Fertilizers and pesticides
• Technology
• Climate
POST
PRODUCTION
• Yield
• Minimum support price
• Transportation
• Storage of crops
• Access to markets through proper
Transports
• Transport of products
• Storage facilities
Physical
• Precision Farming
• Simulation techniques to estimate the
water level and climatic condition
Technology
• Soil Fertility and Soil Erosion
• Ground water level depletion
• Water Contamination
Natural
• Credit access
• Insurance Schemes for crops
• Government subsidies
Financial
• Access to formal and informal
Education
• Knowledge of farming management
Human
Overview on agricultural process and factors

4. Driving factors for the Proposed model
• Increase in food Demand: The population of India is
growing at the rate of 1.8% per year and is expected
to double in 40 years
• Concentration on Rainfed agriculture: Out of 3
hectare of cultivable land in our country, two thirds
are under rainfed agriculture
• Average Age: In 2020, the average age of the Indian
is estimated to be 29 years
• Scope of agriculture: 42% of farmers are ready to
quit agriculture due to higher income in other
sectors
• Retail System: Indian retail system is highly
inefficient
• Transport and Storage facilities: Lack of transport
and storage facilities for crops to reach the
consumers
• Deprivation of local infrastructure, climate,
information on soil quality and farmer awareness on
The need for a change in model to increase agricultural productivity
Expected outcomes of the model
• Increased outcome: The most important
outcome of this model would be increased
livelihood for the farmers and their ability to
exercise more responsible use of the natural
resource base
• Empowerment: Empowers the farmers through
informed decisions taken by them and to increase
capacity to sustain their own development efforts
• Creating Operational Links: The operating
institutional links that would be created between
the farmers ,development committees and
universities enabling them to overcome
production and post harvest specific farmers
• Skilled labours: Availability of better skilled
personnel in specific areas such as irrigated and
irrigated helps in improving agricultural
productivity by solving timely solutions to
problem
• Employment: Both rural and urban employment

5. India
Alluvial Black
Red &
Yellow
Rain-Fed region
Committee
Village
Zone1
Village
Zone2
Irrigated region
Laterite Desert Mountain
Proposed Model- Value Delivery Network
Region based
States
classified
based on 8
soil Types
Various committee
under the region
Group of villages
form a zone and
monitored by each
committee

6. Implementation of Value Delivery Network
• The major accomplishment will be development of dynamic agricultural model and knowledge system
• Soil and water are the vital natural resources for optimising agricultural production
• Classification based on soil: The regionalization of agricultural Indian states are done based on six major
types of soil distributed across India.
• It is a Special network formed exclusively for agricultural sectors
• Dependency based on water dependency: Every Indian states are sub-divided into two major regions
based on dependency on water viz., rainfed and irrigated
• Committee members: Each region will have regulatory body which comprises of expert personnel-
Environmentalist, Economist, Pedologist, Agricultural technology specialist.
• Zonal group division: The region(rainfed, irrigated) is further sub divided into group zones(group of
villages).
• Zonal members: Every zone will have zonal administrative Officer, intermediary officer, legal advisor,
crop protection officer, Knowledge personnel
• Database framework: Each zone will have zonal database framework which would facilitate
interconnection between all zones across India. This database contains farmer details, crops produced,
technology used, details regarding financial Supports.

7. Roles and Responsibilities of members in the value delivery network
Environmentalist
• To increase agro-forestry
projects
• Studies the climatic change
pattern and advice zonal
officers on timely cultivation
and timely harvesting
Crop protection officer
• Encourage
development of
drought and climate
resistant genes
• Interact with village
groups to facilitate
them to use
integrated pest
management
techniques
depending on the
crop
Legal advisors
• To create
awareness on
beneficial
schemes for
farmers
• To ensure every
farmers access
to credit and
insurance
policies
Hydrologist
• To manage the ground
water level and its
quality
• To monitor farmers to
follow drip/drop
irrigation techniques
and efficient utilization
of water
Pedologist
• To study soil formation,
classification, fertility and the
proper use and management
of soil
• Chemical composition of the
soil are tested to grow crops
and plants accordingly.
Zonal administrative officer
• To conduct quarterly
meetings among farmers to
motivate and influence their
agricultural mechanisms
Intermediary Officer
• To procure produces directly
from farmers and channelize
it to the government and
consumers
Techno Specialist
• To improve agriculture
mechanization
• Facilitates modern
agricultural practices
Economist
• To conduct research on
econometric analysis on
values of crop production,
water supply demand and
soil fertility
• To study demand and supply
of the market

8. • Database creation: Database containing the
collection of latest technologies and implications
of WTO on agriculture can be created which
would enable the farmers to gain access to best
practices
• Geographic information systems : Land can be
mapped digitally and pertinent geodetic data
such as topography and contours can be
combined to provide analysis of soil.
• Biotechnology: Use of genetically modified crops
such as water resistant crops will reduce the
farmers dependence on water and would
improve the growth
• Simulation Tools: Collecting the historical data
related for past 30 years and combining the
data with inputs such as soil, water facilities
to provide suggestion on the crops that can
be planted for the current year to farmers.
Role of technology in agriculture
• Soil fertility to be analysed & Soil test to be done before
plantation for proper crop selection
• Eco-friendly pesticides and fertilizers to be used
• Rotation of crops to regenerate nutrients and
encourage contour farming
• Cover crops are planted alongside with other crops to
avoid soil erosion and prevent over exposure to sun
• Check dams, canals, lakes and ponds can be
constructed to maintain the under ground water table
• Good efficient irrigation techniques like drip irrigation
• Improve rain water harvesting & recycling techniques
• Develop integrated water shed management models
• Partnership with local farmers will introduce pivot
irrigation as an alternate to traditional flood irrigation
• Dedicated government programme and integrated
aquifer mapping to manage groundwater level
Soil and Water resources

9. 0
1
2
3
1970 2000 2005 2011 2020 2030
Average size of land holdings
Causes
• Fall in farm income
• High opportunity cost : Engaging in non
agricultural activity provides higher income
• Land acquisition / urbanisation :Conversion
of farm lands for non agricultural purpose
• Skilled labour: Lack of skilled labour
Solutions
• Land acquisition act can be strengthened
• Improve supply chain management
• Minimum support price for crops
• Increase in cropping intensity
• Incentives for farmers
• promote diversified rural livelihood opportunities for upward
mobility through participation in off firm and non firm sources of
employment and income
• Beneficiaries of land reforms can be organised in to self help groups
that empower them for equitable access to credit, irrigation water
and quality seeds
• 83% of famers have operating land holdings of
less than 2 hectares
• 20 lakh hectares of cultivable land have been
acquired for non agricultural purpose
Increased opportunities in other sectors and loss in farm income leads to decline
in average size of land holdings
•Raising energy crises geopolitics and concerns over green
house gases emissions and climate change and increase in
demand for bio fuel production
•At present bio fuel 35 billion lit – 2 % of annual gasoline
consumption world wide
•Contribution of bio fuel to energy supply will improve
Energy Crisis

10. Recommended Government Policies and advantages
Policies Advantages
Concept of public and private can be introduced in agriculture
and allied sectors
Better capital investment
Intermediaries between producers and consumers can be
eliminated
Huge benefits and profits to farmers
Method of contract farmers between producer and consumer
can be practiced
More people would take up agricultural activity incentivizing to
produce more
Concept of cooperative/Integrating farming can be introduced
among small and marginal land holders
•Opportunity to increase economic yield per unit area per unit
time
•Effective utilization of land
Leasing in and leasing out of agricultural land can be legalised
and permitted within ceiling limits of various states
Illegal possession of land can be controlled
More Dynamic Insurance policies Helps the capacity of the farmers in absorbing the shock(
Extreme weather and climate changes)
Enactment of laws for ecological foundation for climate
resilient agriculture, waste management and carbon
sequestration of soil
Overall natural resources can be managed efficiently

11. Additional Solutions
• Media channel: An exclusive media channel for agricultural programs which include crop cultivation
techniques, schemes for farmers, technological updates.
• Promotion for agricultural education:
– Agricultural universities are to be increased which promote
– Compulsory subjects on farming are to be introduced for 8th to 10th standard students.
• Creating awareness among farmers:
– Organizing yearly agriculture conferences for zonal officers and workshops on Innovative techniques
for farmers through agricultural university.
– Encourage farmers to take up non farming activities like poultry, cattle, fishing and other activities
which provide opportunities for off-farm employment and increase their income
• Labor employment:
– MGNREGA can be extended to provide employment in agriculture, eliminating dearth of farm
labourers.
• Food processing: Demand for processed food is expected to increase because of high income and demand
Investment in food processing would enhance the income of farmers.
• Exclusive transportation: A separate transportation department for distribution of agricultural produces to
the market
• The potential of the rainfed areas has not been fully utilised. Rainfed areas are prioritised for agricultural
production through the proposed model
• Reform agricultural practices to be less harmful for forest regeneration by utilising zero tillage agriculture

12. Challenges and Risks
•Unpredictable climatic changes and over exploitation of natural
resources
•Optimizing the use of energy in crop production and
management of waste in agricultural crops
Implementation Challenges
•Starting a new channel for creating awareness in latest
agricultural practices required huge investment and maintenance
cost
• The infrastructure cost for starting new agricultural universities
is high
•Budget allocation towards agriculture needs to be redefined
and it should be allocated in such a way to increase awareness
•Career trends for younger generation needs to be directed
towards agriculture
The value delivery network for improving agricultural productivity involves
various challenges and implementation risks
Implementation in
Investment
Estimated cost( per zone) in
crores
Media channel 50
Irrigation 20
Rural roads & Transportation 45
Power supply 30
Cold storages, Godowns &
food processing units
20
Agro forestry projects 10
Ground water management
program
23
Estimated duration of the
project
3-5 years
Human resources employed Around 10 lakhs