A nested framework for transparency in Public Private Partnerships: Case studies in highway development projects in India

The growing trend towards commercial crops with ever changing technology packages necessitate a transformation in the existing agricultural extension system with emerging technologies like IT.In this context IIIT , Hyderabad has developed and implemented eSagu, a Web Based Agricultural Expert Advice Dissemination System in Atmakur mandal, Warangal district during 2004-05 covering 1,051 cotton farms. eSagu system of extension has succeeded in acquisition of infrastructure and human resources as envisaged and proved its organizational ability in coordinating different branches for a smooth functioning on proposed lines. Wholistic information in the form of clear images of crop (through digital photographs and zooming) and other information i.e. soil, weather, crop history has helped scientists to provide effective advice. The system was able to offer collective expert advice from one place with in 24 hours of response time to the farmers at the other end. Further, it is only the information that moved, while the farmers and scientists remained at their respective working places. The system has proved its technical efficiency in terms of pest identification and prediction with appropriate advices based on IPM practices to all sections of farmers. In the process of information dissemination, the system was able to provide 20,000 advices and accumulated 1,11,000 crop photographs in a period of one year. In the field of research it was able to identify new pests like stem borer and early detection of Gray Mildew disease and share the information with other research agencies. As an experiment, the project has tested feasibility and acceptability of IT for tapping its potential as an alternative to the existing extension system. It also offers scope for further reduction in the cost of delivery of advice provided a cluster based approach is adopted in the future.

/pdf/esagu-an-it-based-personalized-agricultural-extension-system-2n3bacoysu.pdf

eSagu: An IT-Based Personalized Agricultural Extension System-- A Prototype Experience *

Modernising Indian agriculture: priority tasks and critical policies.

Indian agriculture has made significant progress since independence. The produc tion of foodgrains, oilseeds, sugarcane, cotton, and milk has increased four-fold since 1950-51. Yet, millions of Indians remain undernourished while, at the same time, more than 25 million tonne of foodgrains remain in the buffer-stock. The persistence of hunger amidst abundance is the result of inadequate purchasing power with the hungry. Agricultural policies alone cannot provide for food security. The main policy dilemma has been to provide farmers incentives to -grow more through remunerative prices and at the same time keep the food prices low enough for the consumers. This has been sought to be achieved through a policy of low output prices and low prices for agricul tural inputs of water, power, and fertilizers through subsidies. This policy is no longer tenable and we need to change our agricultural policies. This paper suggests a set of policies which would make Indian agriculture productive, vigorous, and competi tive, able to not only face the challenges of global markets but thrive from it.

http://www.vikalpa.com/pdf/articles/1999/1999_apr_jun_3_10.pdf

Kirit S Parikh

Papers

Food and Agricultural Policy: The Challenges Ahead