Agricultural production can be increased by the government in various ways. How? Write any five ways of it.
Answers
Various initiatives taken by the government to ensure the increase in agricultural production are:
→ Collectivisation, consolidation of holdings, cooperation and abolition of Zamindari etc. were given priority to bring about institutional reforms in the country after independence.
→ Land Reform was the main focus of our ‘First Five Year Plan’.
→ The Green Revolution was based on the use of package technology and the White Revolution were some of the strategies initiated to improve the Indian agriculture.
→ Minimum Support Price policy, provision for crop insurance, subsidy on agricultural inputs and resources such as power and fertilizers, Grameen Banks, Kissan Credit Card and Personal Accident Insurance Scheme are also some of the reforms bought by Indian Government.
Answer:
Agriculture provides jobs to 1.3 billion people, which is close to 40 per cent of global employment, most of them working poor. Agricultural insurance can play an important role in securing farmers’ livelihoods and boosting the efficiency of the agricultural sector, but access to agricultural insurance remains low.
To explore how governments can support efforts to scale up agriculture insurance, the ILO’s Impact Insurance Facility organised a Peer Learning Platform for Policymakers in Kenya in July. The workshop was attended by participants from Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, USA and Zambia.
The Platform enabled members from government organizations, ranging from ministries of agriculture and finance, social development organizations, central banks, planning commissions, insurance regulators and specialised organizations focused on agriculture of several countries, to share their experiences and learn from each other for making agricultural insurance more accessible and responsible.
The following are five lessons on how governments can improve implementation of insurance programmes to improve the livelihoods of farmers
1) Insurance as part of agricultural policy
2) Government as driving force of market development
3) Rural insurance markets incentivised
4) Different government levels – same goal
5) Cooperation with private sector