INDIFFERENCE TOWARDS GROWING COARSE GRAINS: IN THE CONTEXT OF FARMERS OF BIHAR
मोटे अनाज उपजाने के प्रति उदासीनता: बिहार के किसानों के संदर्भ में
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhkosh.v5.i6.2024.4177Keywords:
Coarse Grains, Farmers Of Bihar, Agricultural Policy, Nutritional Security, Climate AdaptationAbstract [English]
The continued decline in the cultivation of coarse cereals (such as jowar, bajra, ragi) is a serious concern in the agricultural landscape of Bihar. This study explores the economic, policy, socio-cultural and ecological factors that are making farmers indifferent to these crops. Data from 150 farmers and 10 agricultural officers was collected through a mixed-means research methodology (surveys, in-depth interviews, secondary data analysis). The findings suggest that ₹12,000 less income per acre from coarse cereals compared to rice-wheat, absence of minimum support price (MSP), and lack of awareness of government schemes are the major economic constraints. Also, the shift towards refined cereals in urban dietary trends and the mindset of considering coarse cereals a symbol of “backwardness” have led to cultural neglect. Ecologically, coarse cereals can be grown with 30% less water than rice, but lack of irrigation facilities pushes farmers towards risk-prone crops. Recommendations based on this research are presented, which include inclusion of coarse grains in MSP, providing training and market linkages to farmers, and integrating them into the Public Distribution System (PDS).
Abstract [Hindi]
बिहार के कृषि परिदृश्य में मोटे अनाज (जैसे ज्वार, बाजरा, रागी) की खेती में निरंतर गिरावट एक गंभीर चिंता का विषय है। यह अध्ययन आर्थिक, नीतिगत, सामाजिक-सांस्कृतिक और पारिस्थितिक कारकों की पड़ताल करता है, जो किसानों को इन फसलों के प्रति उदासीन बना रहे हैं। मिश्रित-माध्यम शोध पद्धति (सर्वेक्षण, गहन साक्षात्कार, द्वितीयक डेटा विश्लेषण) के माध्यम से 150 किसानों और 10 कृषि अधिकारियों के डेटा का संग्रह किया गया। निष्कर्ष बताते हैं कि चावल-गेहूं की तुलना में मोटे अनाज से प्रति एकड़ ₹12,000 कम आय, न्यूनतम समर्थन मूल्य (MSP) का अभाव, और सरकारी योजनाओं के प्रति जागरूकता की कमी प्रमुख आर्थिक बाधाएँ हैं। साथ ही, शहरी आहार प्रवृत्तियों में परिष्कृत अनाज के प्रति झुकाव और मोटे अनाज को "पिछड़ेपन" का प्रतीक मानने की मानसिकता ने सांस्कृतिक उपेक्षा को बढ़ावा दिया है। पारिस्थितिक दृष्टि से, मोटे अनाज चावल की तुलना में 30% कम पानी में उगाए जा सकते हैं, लेकिन सिंचाई सुविधाओं का अभाव किसानों को जोखिम-रहित फसलों की ओर धकेलता है। इस शोध के आधार पर सिफारिशें प्रस्तुत की गई हैं, जिनमें MSP में मोटे अनाज को शामिल करना, किसानों को प्रशिक्षण और बाजार संपर्क उपलब्ध कराना, और सार्वजनिक वितरण प्रणाली (PDS) में इन्हें सम्मिलित करना शामिल है।
References
Bihar Agriculture Department, "Agricultural Census Report," 2020.
NITI Aayog, "Agricultural Crisis in India," 2019.
NITI Aayog, "Promoting Coarse Cereals for Nutritional Security," 2018.
R.P. Agricultural University, "Sociological Study of Agricultural Practices in Bihar," 2020.
ICAR, "Climate-Resilient Agriculture," 2019.
A. Singh and R. Sharma, "Revival of Coarse Cereals in Chhattisgarh," EPW, 2021.
FAO, "Climate Change and Crop Diversification," 2020.
Government of India, "National Food Security Act," 2013.
Government of Kerala, "School Meal Programme," 2022.
ICAR, "Soil Conservation Techniques," 2021.
ICAR, "Nutrient Composition of Millets," 2019.
Bihar Agriculture Department, "Farmer Survey on Coarse Cereals," 2023.
NITI Aayog, "MSP and Farmer Income: An Analysis," 2022.
A. Kumar and S. Yadav, "MSP Awareness and Farmers of Bihar," Journal of Agricultural Policy, 2021.
Government of India, "Agricultural Subsidy Report," 2023.
ICAR-NIAP, "Market Analysis of Coarse Grains," 2020.
Bihar Agriculture Department, "Coarse Grain Mission Survey," 2023.
NITI Aayog, "Challenges of Policy Implementation in Bihar," 2022.
A. Singh, "Chhattisgarh Millet Mission: A Case Study," Agricultural Policy Research, 2021.
Bihar Finance Department, "Budget Allocation Report," 2023.
ICAR-IIMR, "Subsidy Analysis on Coarse Grains," 2022.
Government of Bihar, "Agriculture Roadmap 2025," 2022.
R.P. Agricultural University, "Perceptions of Young Farmers," 2023.
S. Mishra and K. Sinha, "Media and Agricultural Culture," Journal of Social Research, 2022.
Bihar Agricultural Marketing Board, "Demand Analysis of Coarse Grains," 2023.
Food Corporation of India (FCI), "Price Trend Report," 2023.
NITI Aayog, "Coarse Grains in Public Distribution," 2023.
ICAR, "Ecological Potential of Coarse Grains," 2022.
FAO, "Water Use Efficiency Comparison," 2021.
ICAR-Soil Conservation Department, "Soil Health Report," 2023.
Bihar Agriculture Department, "Irrigation Facility Survey," 2023.
NITI Aayog, "Drought Management and Bihar," 2022.
Purnia District Agriculture Officer, "Crop-wise Irrigation Data," 2023.
Bihar Water Resources Department, "Scheme Allocation Report," 2021.
Rajasthan Agriculture Department, "Micro-Irrigation Impact," 2022.
India Government, "National Food Security Act," 2013.
FCI, "PDS Grain Distribution Report," 2023.
Tamil Nadu Agriculture Department, "PDS Impact of Coarse Cereals," 2023.
ICAR-ATARI, "Evaluation of Agricultural Extension Services," 2022.
Bihar Agriculture Department, "Training Program Report," 2023.
Odisha Millet Mission, "Success Case Study," 2022.
R. Verma and S. Pandey, "Youth and Food Preferences," Social Science Research, 2023.
Kerala Nutrition Mission, "School Meal Programme," 2023.
Maharashtra Tourism Department, "Millet Café Initiative," 2022.
ICAR-Soil Conservation Department, "Ecological Role of Sorghum," 2021.
FAO, "Carbon Sequestration and Coarse Cereals," 2020.
Rajasthan Agriculture Department, "Jhunjhunu Model," 2023.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Sangita Singh
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
With the licence CC-BY, authors retain the copyright, allowing anyone to download, reuse, re-print, modify, distribute, and/or copy their contribution. The work must be properly attributed to its author.
It is not necessary to ask for further permission from the author or journal board.
This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.
