jha
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Dec 19, 2009
- Messages
- 10,962
- Reaction score
- -8
- Country
- Location
At present Israel is the most important strategic partner of India. It has already replaced France to acquire the second position as a defense equipments supplier and believed to be the number one in future replacing Russia too. We wonder what makes this tiny nation so successful in sophisticated technological arena. Israel is admired world wide for the quality and reliability of their defense products and that is even by the so called enemies.
But here, I am trying to draw your attention to a less known area of Israels growth. That is agriculture. How many of us even know how Israel is performing in Agriculture. With little knowledge of geography, anyone can say that Israel is not a place where agriculture can be supported. But here is the surprise and I should say that is no way less exciting than Israels success in defense industry.
Israel does not have a geography which makes it appear instantly to be best suited to agriculture. Not only is more than half of the land area desert, but also the climate and water resources do not make agriculture an instantly attractive industry. Just 20% of the land area is naturally arable. Total agriculture represents only 2.5 % of GDP and agriculture workers make about 3.7 % of total employment in the country. But Israel produces 95% of its requirement . Though it imports grain, oil seeds, coffee, sugar etc but this import is more than offset by exports and the country remains a net exporter of foods. And Israel is now a world leader in Agriculture Technology too.
Most of Israel's agriculture is based around co-operative principles, which evolved during the start of the twentieth century. Two unique forms of agricultural settlements; the kibbutz, a collective community in which the means of production are communally owned and each member's work benefits all; and the moshav, a farming village where each family maintains its own household and works its own land, while purchasing and marketing are conducted co-operatively.Both communities provided a means not only to realise the dream of the pioneers to have rural communities based on social equality, co-operation and mutual aid but also to gain agricultural output in a productive means.Today, between kibbutzim and moshavim, 76% of the country's fresh produce is output, as well as many processed food products.
We are gifted with vast fertile planes and thousands of water bodies. We have huge manpower too. But our performance in Agriculture in terms of productivity is pathetic even when we are the largest producer of many crops. Condition of the farmers is also nothing to be proud of. Many of them are below poverty line and every now and then we get the shocking news of farmers committing suicide. There is wide fluctuation in agri-commodity prices because of poor planning. Distribution system is unplanned and storage facilities too are not enough. Can we take any lesson from Israel about how proper vision and effort to mutual benefit can make wonders? How with so less resources they can attain such level of productivity and how their agricultural community becomes a backbone of their nation. What do we need to improve productivity? A good student in eighth standard can tell you in single breath Proper irrigation, introduction of modern equipments and high yielding crops, fertilizer and pesticides. You may add easy loan and insurance facilities to alleviate the problems of the farmers. But why we are failing to solve the problem. Because it can not be solved addressing the farmers individually. It is bound to be disconnected somewhere. And here is the beauty of Community farming. When all members of a community take up the work together dissolving their self-interests it becomes easier to allocate irrigation water properly, it becomes possible to buy modern equipments with contribution from its members. It becomes easier for government or bank or Insurance companies to address the needs of a community than to an individual.
The traditional practice of Kibbutz in Israel was more inclined to socialism and based on equality. Every member used to get equally from the community, children was to be reared by the community etc. But this tradition has gone through many changes, capitalism has crept in, but the tradition adopted with the changes and prospered. Many communities have gone much beyond agriculture. They are in business of manufacturing machineries, arranging tours and even manufacturing of defense products. Can we imitate their roadmap here in India? Can our farmers achieve their level of prosperity through community farming? Let us ponder a bit.
The reality is we can be inspired by their success but we need to draw our own plan to draft community farming in India. As an example, in backward areas, simply saying, in the world of have-nots we can follow their socialist model. With help of government we can not only improve agricultural production but lead these poor people to a prosperous life based on equality and sharing of communitys wealth. All other development works can be done keeping the community firm in centre. But in other areas where individual farmers with more resources would not be ready to share his resources with each other so easily. Reason is simple, if Ram has more land than Kishen why Ram will handover his land to the community to get same return as Kishen. Here we need to bring in more capitalistic version of community farming though the basic frame work will remain same. And I believe, if properly implemented this system can give us an alternative to our poor rural administration frame work.
A capitalistic model of community farm must work like a company where all land owners are like share holders. The revenue generated will be distributed in proportion of the contribution in capital (land, money or other assets) of the community farm. Ownership will have no bearing in working in the farm. Wages of the workers will be paid by the community and work will be supervised by the persons Community has chosen or recruited. A land owner can work in the farm to earn extra income. Or he can stay away from it being happy with his share of profit. If necessary, community can borrow out side workers.
The community will decide what crop pattern they are going to follow and level of production following the trend in market. They can negotiate with industries in advance for supplying their commodities. Insurance companies will have to deal with a community farm rather than individual. Government aid or bank loans will be offered to the community not to the individual thus ensuring better chance of repayment. Agro-research institutes and educational institutes will be helping the community farms in scientific process, training of workers and management. Other development works like child education, medical facilities can be done keeping a community as a centre. Here I am providing a data for better understanding of this System.
It is true Human beings are not very responsive to changes. Specially those who have at least something to loss. Even if Government tries to implement community farming, majority of the farmers will get scared. So, it is those backward areas where it can be implemented first. If it gives good results, I am sure farmers in more prosperous regions will volunteer to set up community farms together.
although everywhere india is mentioned but if same methods are tried in pakistan it would give better results there also..
comments awaited..
But here, I am trying to draw your attention to a less known area of Israels growth. That is agriculture. How many of us even know how Israel is performing in Agriculture. With little knowledge of geography, anyone can say that Israel is not a place where agriculture can be supported. But here is the surprise and I should say that is no way less exciting than Israels success in defense industry.
Israel does not have a geography which makes it appear instantly to be best suited to agriculture. Not only is more than half of the land area desert, but also the climate and water resources do not make agriculture an instantly attractive industry. Just 20% of the land area is naturally arable. Total agriculture represents only 2.5 % of GDP and agriculture workers make about 3.7 % of total employment in the country. But Israel produces 95% of its requirement . Though it imports grain, oil seeds, coffee, sugar etc but this import is more than offset by exports and the country remains a net exporter of foods. And Israel is now a world leader in Agriculture Technology too.
Most of Israel's agriculture is based around co-operative principles, which evolved during the start of the twentieth century. Two unique forms of agricultural settlements; the kibbutz, a collective community in which the means of production are communally owned and each member's work benefits all; and the moshav, a farming village where each family maintains its own household and works its own land, while purchasing and marketing are conducted co-operatively.Both communities provided a means not only to realise the dream of the pioneers to have rural communities based on social equality, co-operation and mutual aid but also to gain agricultural output in a productive means.Today, between kibbutzim and moshavim, 76% of the country's fresh produce is output, as well as many processed food products.
We are gifted with vast fertile planes and thousands of water bodies. We have huge manpower too. But our performance in Agriculture in terms of productivity is pathetic even when we are the largest producer of many crops. Condition of the farmers is also nothing to be proud of. Many of them are below poverty line and every now and then we get the shocking news of farmers committing suicide. There is wide fluctuation in agri-commodity prices because of poor planning. Distribution system is unplanned and storage facilities too are not enough. Can we take any lesson from Israel about how proper vision and effort to mutual benefit can make wonders? How with so less resources they can attain such level of productivity and how their agricultural community becomes a backbone of their nation. What do we need to improve productivity? A good student in eighth standard can tell you in single breath Proper irrigation, introduction of modern equipments and high yielding crops, fertilizer and pesticides. You may add easy loan and insurance facilities to alleviate the problems of the farmers. But why we are failing to solve the problem. Because it can not be solved addressing the farmers individually. It is bound to be disconnected somewhere. And here is the beauty of Community farming. When all members of a community take up the work together dissolving their self-interests it becomes easier to allocate irrigation water properly, it becomes possible to buy modern equipments with contribution from its members. It becomes easier for government or bank or Insurance companies to address the needs of a community than to an individual.
The traditional practice of Kibbutz in Israel was more inclined to socialism and based on equality. Every member used to get equally from the community, children was to be reared by the community etc. But this tradition has gone through many changes, capitalism has crept in, but the tradition adopted with the changes and prospered. Many communities have gone much beyond agriculture. They are in business of manufacturing machineries, arranging tours and even manufacturing of defense products. Can we imitate their roadmap here in India? Can our farmers achieve their level of prosperity through community farming? Let us ponder a bit.
The reality is we can be inspired by their success but we need to draw our own plan to draft community farming in India. As an example, in backward areas, simply saying, in the world of have-nots we can follow their socialist model. With help of government we can not only improve agricultural production but lead these poor people to a prosperous life based on equality and sharing of communitys wealth. All other development works can be done keeping the community firm in centre. But in other areas where individual farmers with more resources would not be ready to share his resources with each other so easily. Reason is simple, if Ram has more land than Kishen why Ram will handover his land to the community to get same return as Kishen. Here we need to bring in more capitalistic version of community farming though the basic frame work will remain same. And I believe, if properly implemented this system can give us an alternative to our poor rural administration frame work.
A capitalistic model of community farm must work like a company where all land owners are like share holders. The revenue generated will be distributed in proportion of the contribution in capital (land, money or other assets) of the community farm. Ownership will have no bearing in working in the farm. Wages of the workers will be paid by the community and work will be supervised by the persons Community has chosen or recruited. A land owner can work in the farm to earn extra income. Or he can stay away from it being happy with his share of profit. If necessary, community can borrow out side workers.
The community will decide what crop pattern they are going to follow and level of production following the trend in market. They can negotiate with industries in advance for supplying their commodities. Insurance companies will have to deal with a community farm rather than individual. Government aid or bank loans will be offered to the community not to the individual thus ensuring better chance of repayment. Agro-research institutes and educational institutes will be helping the community farms in scientific process, training of workers and management. Other development works like child education, medical facilities can be done keeping a community as a centre. Here I am providing a data for better understanding of this System.
It is true Human beings are not very responsive to changes. Specially those who have at least something to loss. Even if Government tries to implement community farming, majority of the farmers will get scared. So, it is those backward areas where it can be implemented first. If it gives good results, I am sure farmers in more prosperous regions will volunteer to set up community farms together.
although everywhere india is mentioned but if same methods are tried in pakistan it would give better results there also..
comments awaited..
