Agro-Industrial Revolution To Convert Poverty Into Prosperity in Tamil Nadu

1. Agro-Industrial Revolution To Convert Poverty Into Prosperity in Tamil Nadu Strategy for Tamil Nadu to emerge as the leading state in India on growth of agriculture, industry, employment & living standards within three years.

2. Objectives • Generate minimum 5 million new job & self-employment opportunities in Tamil Nadu • Generate Rs 50,000 crores rural income (generating approximately Rs 5,000 crores tax revenue to government) • Generate 2,000 MW non-conventional biomass power in Tamil Nadu • Spread advanced methods for rainwater harvesting throughout Tamil Nadu

3. India’s Contradictions • Lowest wages but highest unit production cost for all crops --due to low crop yields. • Abundant water resources but not enough water for agriculture -- due to wastage of water. • e.g. California cotton farmers produce 35 times more cotton per liter of water than in Tamil Nadu with AT. • Huge food stocks but widespread malnutrition -- due to lack of purchasing power. • Though farmers produce more, they earn less -- due to falling market prices.

4. Solution to the Contradictions • Increase productivity to reduce unit cost of production below international level -- generates more income for farmers & surpluses can be exported. • Diversify from foodgrains to commercial & orchard crops such as oilseeds, banana, mango, amla, neem, etc. • Rotate crops every season to avoid surplus production in response to changing market demand. • Link agriculture to agro-industries such as biomass power, fuel and edible oil to provide assured market for surplus production & generate non-farm employment. • Raise profitability of agriculture to increase the incomes and purchasing power of rural population to eliminate malnutrition and poverty. • Raise efficiency of water usage & crop productivity by advanced methods of deep soil ploughing & rainwater harvesting.

5. Agriculture Technology (AT) Engine for Growth Higher crop yields & farmer profit through AT Links to Agro-industries for assured market Higher on-farm employment Higher non-farm employment Higher purchasing power leading to bigger demand for food

6. Low Indian Crop Productivity (kg/ha)

7. Raising Crop Productivity • Soil preparation • Plant nutrition • Water management • Pest management • Time & schedule management

8. Land Preparation in India • Plough soil only 6 to 8” deep • Resulting in dense packing of earth • Prevents rainwater storage in the soil • Leads to flooding of roots during irrigation & heavy rains which stops plant growth • Prevents crop roots from penetrating into the earth • Leads to stunted plant growth

9. Normal Indian Soil Rainwater cannot penetrate deepr or drain, so it floods roots & evaporates rapidly. The flooding prevents plant roots from breathing, which is essential for absorption of nutrients. 6” Crop Roots cannot penetrate so plant growth is stunted. Plants are small, weak, needs frequent irrigation & gives low yield. Hard Pan

10. Deep Soil ploughing Roots sink deep to reach perennial water supply & nutrients. Plant grows large, strong & highly productive. 36” Crop Soft Pan Rainwater stored deep down where it will not easily evaporate & is available to plants for months

11. Deep Soil Ploughing • Enables soil to capture rainwater • Recharges groundwater • Prevents run-off • Enables root systems to grow deep • Increases crop productivity. • Reduces need for irrigation to as low as 20%.

12. Ripper Plow with 4 feet Shanks (USA)

13. One Shank (Raised) in India

14. One Shank (Lowered) in India

15. Balanced Soil & Plant Nutrition • Plants require more than 12 essential nutrients to generate healthy and productive growth. • Without these 12 nutrients, genetic potential of hybrid seeds cannot be tapped. • Same hybrid rice seed generates 2.8 tons per hectare in India, 5.4 tons in China and 8 tons in USA. • In India, soil is being tested for only three nutrients. • Methods employed in India for application of fertilizers lead to low absorption, high wastage and high cost. • Advanced methods can triple or quadruple the productivity of the same hybrid seed.

16. California AT “Applied” in India

17. Cotton Maize Oilseeds Paddy Sugarcane & Sugar Beet Tapioca Tomato & other vegetables Banana Orchard crops – amla, cashew, lime, mango, papaya Tree Crops – bamboo, casuarina, eucalyptus, jatropa, paradise tree Black pepper & other herbs and spices High Potential Crops

18. Rotate & Mix Cropping Patterns • Rotate 3 different crops for 3 seasons every year (1 year example) • Vegetable in fall • Maize in spring • Pulse in summer • Mixed cropping (10 acre example) • 3 acres maize, tapioca, sugarcane or sugar beet for ethanol • 1 acre banana • 1 acre vegetable • 1 acre pulses for edible oil • 1 acre mango, neem or amla orchard • 1 acre Casuarina (irrigated or dry • 1 acre jatropa (dry) for fuel oil • 1 acre Paradise tree (dry) for edible oil

19. Creating Assured Markets

20. Energy is an unlimited market • India needs energy – demand for power & oil will triple by 2020 • Shift to renewable energy for energy self-sufficiency • Bio-fuels are cost-effective source of renewable energy & reduce dependence on coal & imported oil • Ethanol from maize, tapioca, sugarcane & sugar beet can be mixed as a pollution-free motor fuel • Electrical power can be produced from Casuarina & other tree crops • Diesel fuel oil can be produced from Jatropa tree

21. Biomass Power Plants • One in Tamil Nadu, 20 in AP with 20 more licensed • Tamil Nadu power demand increasing 10% per annum • Capital investment Rs 3 per MW vs. Rs 5 for thermal power. • Decentralized plants will reduce transmission losses & support rural industries.

22. Ethanol – A Proven Motor Fuel • Ethanol-petrol fuel blends are utilized in more than 20 countries, including Brazil, Canada, Sweden and USA. • Ethanol is clean burning, pollution free. • USA consumes 4 billion liters of ethanol as motor fuel per annum.

23. Brazil • 41% of demand for transport fuel is met by ethanol • 4 million vehicles run on 95% ethanol blend. • Country consumes more than 16 billion liters of ethanol annually • Reduced oil imports by 70% between 1979 and 1992 while cutting reliance on imported oil from 43% to 22%

24. Ethanol in India • GOI has already approved 5% ethanol-petrol fuel blend • Ethanol can be approved for use up to 10% mix with both petrol and diesel in unmodified vehicle engines. • India consumes 40 million tons of diesel and 6 million tons of petrol annually. • Assuming a 10% blend of ethanol with petrol & diesel, total ethanol requirement would be 4.6 million tons per annum, equivalent to 4.6 billion liters. • With engine modification, much higher ethanol blends can be utilized, created a potential demand for more than 10 billion liters of ethanol per annum. • Total current production of ethanol in India (primarily from molasses) is 1.3 billion liters, of which 50% is used for industrial purposes and 50% for potable purposes.

25. Economics of Ethanol Fuel • Cost of production of ethanol fuel from sugarcane will be approximately Rs 18 liter, of which 2/3rd will go as income to farmers. • International price Rs 18-20 per liter FOB vs. cost of production Rs 15.

26. Benefits of Bio-Fuels Project • Creates employment for 2.5 million rural families • Generates Rs 23,000 Crores rural income • Reduces dependence on imported fuels • Create an alternative market for sugarcane to reduce sugar surplus • Stimulus to rural industrialization • Reduce pollution from petrol-based motor fuel • Boost rural electricity generation from begasse & provide local source of power for rural industrialization • Improve general rural eco system and generate average Rs.20,000 per year for each families covered under the scheme.

27. Cover 25 lakh hectares with energy crops 5 lakh ha -- Casuarina & other tree crops for biomass power 10 lakh ha -- Jatropa (rain fed) for engine fuel oil 10 lakh ha – Ethanol from maize, tapioca, sugarcane & sugar beet 2000 MW of biomass power generation 10.75 million tons of bio fuels (.75 MT jatropa & 10 MT ethanol) 27.5 lakh farm & non-farm jobs from the above energy crops Higher rural income & widespread rural prosperity Tamil Nadu Rural Energy Strategy

28. Meet India’s demand for Edible Oil • India imports 3 million tons of edible oil / year • 10 lakh hectares of Paradise Tree will generate 1.5 MT of edible oil worth Rs 6000 crores • Edible oil crops can generate additional 5 lakh farm & non-farm jobs

29. Other Agro-Industrial Crops • Corn oil, corn flakes, corn syrup, fructose, chicken & cattle feed, and many other foods and industrial chemicals from maize • Fruit juices, pulp and dried fruits from mango, guava, pineapple, grapes, etc. • Processed tomatoes • High protein foods from beans • Herbs & Medicinal plants such as amla, neem

30. Generate 1000 Agro-Industries • 200 – Ten MW Biomass Power Plants  • 275 – Oil extraction units for jatropa • 275 – Oil extraction units for Paradise • 250 – Ethanol plants  Registered crops on sugar factory model

31. Strategy for Industrialisation • Educate farmers about commercial potential of each agro-industrial crop. • Demonstrate methods for high profit cultivation at training centres & on farm schools. • Canvas farmers in each region to plant sufficient area for one or more agro-industries of each type. • Conduct business conferences in major cities to promote these agro-industries. • Identify potential entrepreneurs and investors in each taluq and approach them to establish units. • Recommend for cold storage and crop processing facilities.

32. Critical Needs • Transfer of advanced crop production technology • Intensive training of farmers on AT • Diversify cropping patterns • Improve management of water resources • Create links with agro-industries

33. Tamil Nadu Project for Advanced Agriculture Technology (TPAAT) • Project Partners • Tamil Nadu Government • California Agricultural Consulting Services, USA – agricultural consultants to award winning farms covering 30,000 acres in California • The Mother’s Service Society, Pondicherry – social science, development & education research institute, operated 1st village adoption scheme by nationalized bank in India

34. Project Goals • Transfer and disseminate AT (Agriculture Technology) to double the yield on major commercial crops. • Teach farmers how to double or triple net income per acre by higher productivity, crop diversification, and improved water management. • Promote cropping patterns that will support links to agro-industries.

35. Project Targets • Train more than 100,000 farmers within three years on methods for high profit commercial crop production. • Train an additional 100,000 farmers per year from 4th year onwards. • Establish 6000 village-based Farm Schools within four years. • Establish permanent infrastructure for on-going technical support to lead farmers.

36. Project Components • 11 -- Model Farms cum Training Centres to demonstrate high yield, high profit production methods with farm equipment hire centres • 8 – world class soil labs • Training of 6000 Farm School Instructors to set up village-based Farm Schools • Computer software for crop selection & production • Computerized farmer training programme • Links with agro-industries • AT information website

37. 6000 Farm Schools (FS) • 10 acre model farms in the village on owned or leased lands to demonstrate TPAAT methods run by self-employed farmer-cum-Ag-consultants trained by TPAAT • Each FS to train 30 lead farmers per year in TPAAT methods • On-going technical support from TPAAT to FSs • Each FS has computer centre for farmer education & technical advice • Income from training of lead farmers (Rs. 30,000 to 60,000 per year) for each FS instructor • FS instructor is certified by TPAAT • FS instructor is technical representative of TPAAT in the village

38. Training Curriculum for FS Instructors • Crop economics • Crop selection methods • Land preparation • Deep ploughing & rainwater harvesting techniques • Soil analysis & plant nutrition techniques • Pest management practices • Irrigation scheduling & methods • Crop maintenance practices • Harvesting methods • Post-harvest handling • Agro-industry & agri-business opportunities • Marketing • Teaching and communication skills

39. Training Methodology • Classroom lectures • Practical demonstration on model farms • Practical field work applying all concepts on model farm test plots

40. Computerized Farm Advisory Software (FAS) • Recommend best cropping pattern options based on soil analysis, cost of inputs & prevailing market prices, including cost-benefit for each crop • Recommend package of practices for specific crops based on field conditions & soil test results • Generate detailed crop production instructions for the specific crop and field conditions

41. Computerized Educational Software • Tamil language • 25 to 50 hours of CD-Rom based courseware covering all aspects of CACS technology • For use at training centres, farm schools, secondary schools and vocational training centres • Multimedia: With photographs, video images, text & voice presentations • Interactive: User selects topics and proceeds at own pace • Feedback: Self-tests provide instant feedback to users

42. Farmers Trained