ri lt re and ood ana ement 8.43
in the WTO regime the economy may take a look at the challenges before the Indian
will emerge as the biggest importer agriculture:
of agricultural products. At the (i) Self-sufficiency of Food: Due to inflow
same time the cheaper agri-imports of cheaper foodgrains from the world it
might devastate Indian agricultural would not remain economically viable in
structure and the import-dependence India to produce them and farmers might
may ruin the prospects of a better life incline in favour of the profitable agri-
for millions of poor Indians. products. This will make India heavily
(g) Even if India does not want to tap the dependent upon the world market for its
opportunities of the globalising world food supplies, marring its achievement
it has to gear up in the agriculture of food self-sufficiency. This will have
sector since the world market will serious political and ethical outcomes for
hardly be able to fulfil the agri-goods India.60
demands of India by 2025. It means,
(ii) Price Stability: Dependence on the world
it is only India which can meet its
market for the supply of agricultural
own agri-goods demand in the future. products and specially for foodgrains
There is no doubt that the WTO has brought will never be safe for India. As the
probably the last opportunity to make our international market for the products is
masses have better income and standard of living highly speculative and full of variations
via better income coming from agriculture. But (due to natural factors) the price stability
provided we go for the right kind of preparation will be always in danger—fluctuations
at the right time. There are enough prospects, hamper the producers and consumers
undoubtedly. of agri-goods in India. It would be very
tough to fight dumping of surplus agri-
the chAllenges59 goods from other countries.
If the WTO brings high prospects for Indian (iii) Cropping Pattern: The cropping pattern of
agriculture, it also brings in some hard-boiled agriculture might take a very imbalanced
challenges in front of it. These could be seen as shape, which will be highly detrimental
to the ecology at large61 as the farmers
individual challenges of the similar economies
will always be in favour of going for
as well as joint challenges of such economies.
the crops and commodities which have
The first category of challenges pertains to the
comparative price advantage.
area of relevant preparations, investment and
restructuring of agriculture. And the second 60. Almost 50 per cent of the Indian population spends
category of challenges are nothing less than a 75 per cent of its total income on the purchase of
foodgrains—this is why their standard of life and
revision in the very agricultural provisions of the nutrition depends on the indigenously grown food in a
WTO itself (around which today revolves the great way. nce the self sufficiency is lost their lives
success and failure of the organisation itself). We will depend upon the diplomatic uncertainties of its
regular supply. It will have serious political outcomes
59. The challenges and their possible remedies discussed in for the political scenario of India. Similarly, irregular
this su topic are ased on some of the finest and timely supply of the foodgrains will create a high ethical
debates and articles which appeared in many renowned dilemma, too.
journals and newspapers between the period 1994 and 61. Farmers might go for highly repetitive kind of cropping
2007. For better understanding of the readers only the pattern creating problems for soil fertility, water
consensual as well as the less-complex parts have been crisis, etc. This will have highly adverse effects on the
provided here. agriculture insurance companies, too.