I used to feel that Sharad Pawar’s tenure as the Agriculture Minister was unsuccessful. However, today I watched an episode of Bol Bhidu and gained some insights that made me realize how BJP’s propaganda influences public opinion.
In 2012, the United Nations presented a letter to Sharad Pawar, India’s then Agriculture Minister, expressing gratitude: “Small and medium farmers have created history by producing 100 million tons of rice and 250 million tons of food grains. This is a record-breaking achievement.”
During Vajpayee’s tenure, the Ministry of Agriculture was reduced to a secondary status due to BJP’s greater inclination toward capitalists than farmers. Sharad Pawar, however, restored the dignity of this ministry. When the UPA government was being formed, Pranab Mukherjee expected Sharad Pawar to request a prominent portfolio such as Home, Finance, Foreign Affairs, or Defense. But to his surprise, Sharad Pawar asked for the Agriculture Ministry.
However, Pawar made one condition: several agriculture-related portfolios such as Animal Husbandry, Food and Public Distribution, Consumer Welfare, and Water Conservation were under different ministries, which caused coordination issues. Sharad Pawar demanded these agriculture-related departments be consolidated under his leadership.
As soon as he became the minister, Sharad Pawar called a meeting with agricultural scientists. He realized that research in agriculture was inadequate. The Indian Council for Agriculture Research (ICAR) had 5,000 positions, of which 500 senior scientist posts had been left vacant by the Vajpayee government. Pawar formed a team of senior scientists and immediately filled these vacancies.
He then turned his attention to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). FAO brings together scientists from across the world to collaborate, which enhances the scope of their work. Under Sharad Pawar’s leadership, a condition was imposed requiring Indian researchers working with FAO to spend at least three months annually working with Indian institutions.
Sharad Pawar also granted autonomy to 80 institutions under ICAR. Previously, these institutions had to present their files to the ministry to receive funding, a tedious and time-consuming process. Under Pawar, they had to submit these files only once a year and could access independent funding.
Pawar implemented the principle that strengthening major agricultural institutions directly benefits grassroots farmers. For this, he worked to expand the network of Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) at the taluka level. During Indira Gandhi’s tenure as Prime Minister, the first KVK was established under the Green Revolution. Sharad Pawar significantly increased their numbers. Over the previous 30 years, only 290 KVKs had been established (1974–2004). In just 10 years of UPA rule (2004–2014), Pawar established 340 more. Additionally, 138 new agricultural universities were founded during UPA’s decade in power.
This system built by Sharad Pawar greatly benefited farmers:
- Increased Wheat Production: Before 2004, India had to import wheat. With increased production under Sharad Pawar’s leadership, India began exporting wheat. He linked the concept of minimum support prices (MSP) to market rates and introduced additional bonuses. This incentivized wheat production in regions like Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh.
- Reduced Edible Oil Imports: Under Vajpayee’s government, India spent ₹60,000 crore annually on edible oil imports. This expense was reduced by ₹45,000 crore during Pawar’s tenure.
- National Horticulture Mission: This initiative led to an annual fruit production growth rate of 6%, compared to the previous 1.58%.
- Increased Vegetable Production: Vegetable production rose from 143 million tons in 2003 to 235 million tons in 2013.
- Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India: Special incentives were introduced for rice farmers in Odisha, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Bengal, and Assam. As a result, India became the largest rice exporter in the world during UPA’s tenure (from 3.4 million tons in 2003 to 10 million tons in 2012).
- Increased Agricultural Exports:
- 2004: $6.2 billion
- 2012: $10 billion
- Cotton Exports:
- 2003: 15.1 million tons
- 2013: 34.6 million tons
India’s increased agricultural exports impacted global markets, particularly in Africa, where countries previously dependent on U.S. imports began relying on India for food grains.
Sharad Pawar’s policies also benefited farmers in terms of agricultural credit:
- During UPA’s tenure, a farmer loan waiver scheme was introduced.
- Interest rates on agricultural loans were reduced from 12% to 4%.
- A scheme was launched to waive interest on loans up to ₹3 lakh if repaid on time.
These farmer-friendly policies also boosted the tractor market. Tractor sales rose by 600% during UPA’s tenure (from 171,657 units annually in 2004 to 634,151 units in 2013).
During UPA’s governance, there was also a substantial increase in MSP:
- Rice: 138%
- Wheat: 122%
- Cotton: 114%
- Soybean: 198%
- Tur (Arhar): 216%
This demonstrates how BJP’s propaganda often overshadows the significant contributions of leaders like Sharad Pawar, who implemented transformative policies in the agricultural sector.
https://youtu.be/e7yeqjoEIL4?si=mdEbXU6Pk2mWnZ_q ( video video link bol bhidu )https://learnmarketing9201.blogspot.com/2025/01/blog-post_25.html ( read thia blog in MARATHI)