Editorial 1: Weather vagaries. Wheat woes
Context:
- The unseasonal spell of rains and even hailstorms in some parts of the country in the second half of March have aggravated concerns about the rabi harvest, especially wheat.
- Wheat, grown on almost 34 million hectares, is the second biggest staple after rice.
- the Government of India (GoI) is still figuring out the extent of damage to rabi crops. What we know is that wheat at a mature stage, and the country was expecting a bumper harvest of 112 million metric tonnes (mmt). This hope may not materialise fully now
Major concern related to crop damage:
- The first key issue now is to know the extent of damage, both in terms of quality and quantity of wheat and other crops.
- And second, what policy actions can be taken to tide over this difficulty for the farmers as well as for ensuring food security at the national level.
- Punjab seems to have been hit a bit harder than many other states. The Punjab Agriculture Department has been looking at a 10-15 per cent yield loss on about 40 per cent of the wheat area that seems to have been adversely impacted by rains.
- However, UP being the highest producer of wheath and then Madhya Pradesh also produces about 18mmt of wheat, and Haryana and Rajasthan about 12 and 11 (mmt) respectively, and
- given the widespread nature of wheat cultivation, the chances are that overall wheat production in India will not suffer dramatically, even if the damage is a little more in Punjab than in other states
- But the quality loss (shrivelled grain, lustre loss, discolouration, etc), however, is likely to be more than the quantity loss.
How does one compensate the farmers for their losses (crop quantity and quality)?
- The best policy instrument for these types of weather-related damages, be it unseasonal rains, hails or heat waves, is the PM-Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).
- This was a major initiative that the Modi government launched after two successive droughts of 2014-15 and 2015-16.
- Under this scheme, farmers bear only 1.5 per cent premium of the sum insured for rabi crops while the rest of the premium is equally shared between the Centre and the states as a subsidy on total premium.
- Over the last six years, farmers paid a premium of about Rs 25,186 crore but received claims worth Rs 1,25,662 crore (as on Oct 31, 2022). There can’t be a better deal than this for farmers.
- Issue with PMFBY:
- Still, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Telangana, Jharkhand and West Bengal opted out of the scheme citing “financial constraints”.
- Punjab persistently opposed and never implemented the scheme. Now is the time for them to think and join this PM-FBY. Else, they should be ready to shell out money from their own budget to compensate farmers for their losses.
- States need to remember that the frequency and intensity of such events is likely to increase in the face of worsening climate change.
- Along with it, PM-FBY needs to be made smart and transparent with the application of modern technologies to assess the damages.
- Drones and LEOS (Low Earth Orbit Satellites) with all weather stations spread all over the country is the way to go. The patwari system is not fool-proof and is ridden with corruption.
- This does not give confidence to reinsurers, which are critical players in this game, and therefore, the premium remains high.
Will it impact the food security of nation?
- For food security, Food Corporation of India (FCI) can relax quality specifications for its procurement operations with a view to meet its target of 34mmt.
- GoI can also help by giving a bonus of say Rs 100 to 150/quintal to farmers to sell it to FCI. This would ensure enough buffer with the FCI.
- If it still finds that the quantity loss is more than expected and the procurement is much below the target, it can lower import duty from 40 per cent to say 10 per cent, and allow import of wheat
- Last year (FY23), India exported more than 5mmt of wheat and wheat flour despite a ban on wheat exports. Luckily, the global prices have declined sharply over the last one year (see graph), which offers a good opportunity for GoI to build its buffer.
- FCI thus has the flexibility to substitute rice for wheat in its public distribution system (PM-Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana) wherever feasible, or even go a step further and give the option of direct cash transfers.
Conclusion:
- There is need for right policy instruments, and well in time, both the farmers’ interests as well as the national interest of ensuring food security to its people can be adequately safeguarded
- Once these steps are taken, even it will help RBI for controlling the retail price inflation of wheat, which was hovering at 25 per cent in February, can be brought down to less than 10 per cent in April and will help in controlling the food inflation
- In order to ensure the income safety to farmers, more farmers need to be included under the PMFBY.
Editorial 2: What a new study says about microplastics
Context:
- According to a new study, an estimated 170 trillion plastic particles weighing about 2 million metric tons are currently afloat in the oceans across the world which added that if no urgent action is taken then this number could nearly triple by 2040
- As per report, the situation is much worse than expected. In 2014, it was estimated that there were 5 trillion plastic particles in the ocean. Now, less than ten years later, we’re up at 170 trillion
What is microplastic and concern related to it:
- Plastic is the most prevalent type of marine debris found in our ocean and Great Lakes. Plastic debris can come in all shapes and sizes, but those that are less than five millimeters in length (or about the size of a sesame seed) are called “microplastics.”
- Microplastics are particularly harmful to the oceans as they don’t readily break down into harmless molecules and adversely affect the health of marine organisms, which mistake plastic for food.
- Moreover, these particles can trigger loss of biodiversity and threaten ecosystem balance.
What are the findings of the new study?
- For their analysis, the researchers examined surface-level plastic pollution data from nearly 12,000 ocean stations in six major marine regions, from 1979 to 2019.
- Then they combined this with data they collected during their own expeditions
- They found that from 1990 to 2005, the number of plastic particles more or less fluctuated. One of the reasons for this could be due to the effective implementation of important policy measures at the time.
- “In the 1980s and 90s, there were some international policies, like MARPOL Annex 5 that enforced laws against dumping trash at sea. They were powerful laws that were enforceable and were preventative
- However, things went downhill soon after as the world began producing much more plastic than ever before. “Since 2005 we have produced more than 5,000,000 tons of new plastic into the world, and with more plastic there is more pollution,” said Erdle, adding that the older rules weren’t enough to thwart the rising plastic pollution.
- Therefore, as the study pointed out, the concentration of plastic particles including microplastics in the ocean has skyrocketed in the oceans since the mid-2000s, and it continues to increase.
- Researchers further mentioned that if the world fails to take any drastic action about the issue, there will be a 2.6-fold increase in plastic flowing into aquatic environments by 2040.
How do microplastics impact the oceans and marine life?
- Several recent studies have detected microplastics in marine organisms, from phytoplankton to whales and dolphins, which might prove hazardous for them.
- According one of the co-authors of the new paper, the ingestion of such particles can cause “mechanical problems, such as lacerations and blockages to internal systems.”
- He further added, “Ingested plastics can cause chemical problems by leaching absorb chemicals into organisms.
- As microplastics absorb many hydrophobic compounds, like DDT, PCBs and other industrial chemicals, and evidence shows they can be released when ingested.”
- Not only this, but microplastics can also disrupt the carbon cycle of the oceans.
- Normally, phytoplankton absorbs carbon and are eaten by zooplankton, who excrete the carbon in the form of faecal pellets that sink to the sea floor.
- Once these carbon-containing pellets reach there, “the carbon can be remineralized into rocks — preventing it from escaping back into the atmosphere.
- But if zooplanktons consume microplastics, their faecal pellets sink at a much slower rate, which means they are more likely to break apart or be eaten by other animals “making it less likely that the carbon will reach the seafloor and become permanently sequestered”
What can be done to limit plastic pollution in oceans?( Way forward)
- Researchers of the latest study suggested that there is an urgent need to implement a global resolution to limit the production of single-use, throwaway plastic
- “So far this century the policies trying to address plastic pollution have been weak, and they have been voluntary and focused on recycling and cleanup. They just don’t work very effectively.
- There is need for a strong UN treaty on plastic pollution that is enforceable and not only limited to focused on Clean up and recycling but also working on preventive measures.
- Cities need to be responsible for managing their waste so it does not leave their territory. There is need to reduce the number of chemical additives in new plastic products.
- Recycled plastic should be promoted and to be used in new products. The industries that make plastic should be committed to buying recycled plastic. They have to legally be required to put at least 75% recycled plastic in any new product,” Erdle said.