AFC India Ltd. (formerly Agricultural Finance Corporation Ltd.) is an India-based multidisciplinary cross-functional development organization (wholly owned by NABARD, Commercial Bank & Exim Bank) that provides consulting, advisory, and implementation support for agriculture, rural development, and other strategic socio-economic sectors.
Krishi Jagran Team visited AFC India Ltd (Lucknow Office at Vidhan Sabha Marg) to speak with Er K. B. Singh (Ex-Director Agriculture-UP), Project Director of AFC India Ltd. During the interview, he shared his technical knowledge of soil fertility, water use efficiency, doubling farmers' income, and sustainable agriculture.
Insights Shared During Interview:
To double farmers' income, we must focus not only on increasing agricultural produce but also on an integrated approach, which means we must also focus on other allied activities such as animal husbandry, horticultural crops, and dairy. We must try to raise awareness about such activities and assist them in implementing such practices in order to increase their income.
Agricultural universities, KVKs, and scientists are currently concentrating their efforts on researching and developing newer technologies and farm equipment, rather than on training and implementation at the grassroots level. As a result, farmers are unable to drive benefits from such cutting-edge technology. It is critical that developed technology reach the ground level in order to have a meaningful impact on farmers' lives.
According to a survey, the adoption rate of seeds is high, but the rate of adoption of other farm inputs is low. Due to proper seed and fertilizer placement, we launched an initiative that resulted in a 20% increase in crop yield. Therefore, through live demonstrations & proper training, we must increase technology adoption rates.
Agriculture relies heavily on water management, but many states are currently experiencing groundwater depletion. Farmers have to dig deeper holes for boring irrigation, raising their costs. It is critical to educate farmers about water efficiency, as overflowing crop fields during irrigation is harmful to the soil. Any crop uses 40% of the water from the upper layer of soil, 20% from the second layer, and 10% from the third layer.
As a result, we should increase the frequency of irrigation rather than the depth of irrigation for more efficient and sustainable water use. The government should encourage farmers to use drip and sprinkler irrigation systems to increase crop yields, particularly pulses. We can increase farmer income by doing so.
(Author: Shivam Dwivedi)
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