Editorial 1 : On the farm, and beyond
Introduction: For farmers in India’s rural hinterlands, mechanization isn’t a choice; it is a necessity. Tractors help farmers save labour and optimise their precious time, apart from boosting crop yields.
Use of tractor in rural economy
- The main workhorse on India’s farmlands, the tractor is a versatile machine.
- It is a single source of power that enables agricultural operations, right from field preparation and planting to harvesting and transporting of produce.
India and tractor market
- India is the world’s largest tractor market by volume, nearly 2.5 times of China and 3.5 of the US.
- Nearly 9.5 lakh tractors were sold domestically in 2022-23 and 4 million cumulatively in the last five years.
- Tractors are used in only a fraction of India’s agricultural landscape.
- According to data from the National Statistical Office’s Situation Assessment of Agricultural Household survey, only 4.6 per cent of farmers own tractors.
- The rest, most of them smallholders, either rent tractors or employ human and animal power.
- It causes delays in the completion of farming tasks and wastage across the crop value chain.
Government’s efforts to raise the tractor use in agriculture
- In a recent step in the right direction, the government has reduced the number of tests that any new tractor model has to clear at the Central Farm Machinery Training and Testing Institute, Budni (Madhya Pradesh), from 17 to four.
- Moreover, the companies (original equipment manufacturers) have been permitted to self-certify these tests.
- There has also been a reduction in testing time at Budni from over nine months to only 75 working days.
- Steps such as these to simplify the earlier lengthy process for obtaining certification are consistent with the objective of promoting trust-based governance at all levels and ease of doing business in India.
- It also enables quicker introduction and adoption of new-age technologies such as precision farming and telematics-based analytics where the tractor has a central role to play.
- These advanced digital technologies that can revolutionise the future of Indian agriculture need to be linked to the evolution of the tractor — as a smart, flexible, efficient and highly specialised machine catering to emerging trends like crop rotation, intercropping and horticultural farming.
Challenges in rapid mechanization in India
- These include the implementation of the Bharat Stage TREM V emission standards for tractors and self-propelled machinery from April 2024.
- The government, only in January 2023, had rolled out the TREM IV emission norms for tractors with over 50 horsepower.
- While this may make the machines eco-friendlier, it will also require manufacturers to make investment in new engine technologies like Common Rail Direct Injection, Diesel Particulate Filters, Diesel Oxidation Catalysts, electronics and semiconductors.
- It will increase the cost of mechanisation, making it more challenging for farmers to maintain a balance between efficiency and affordability.
Looking beyond tractors and towards farm equipment use
- India needs to look at farm mechanisation beyond tractors.
- Globally, the tractor industry is annually worth $60 billion, whereas the corresponding sales of farm machinery are around $100 billion.
- It’s the other way round in India, where the tractor industry’s annual sales are $7-8 billion, as against hardly $1.2 billion for farm machinery.
- The tractor is ultimately just a power source. To enhance its utility, it is essential to develop matching farm machinery and implements tailored for different crops and landholding sizes, particularly keeping in mind the needs of smallholders.
- The government’s Make in India initiative can play a pivotal role in the widespread development, testing, and adoption of reliable yet affordable non- tractor farm machinery customised for local crop conditions.
- India’s farm mechanisation industry is witnessing significant investments and collaborations, focusing on cutting-edge technologies to drive productivity, reduce environmental footprint and align with global sustainability goals.
- The government can help the industry in this endeavour by discouraging import of cheap low-quality machinery, especially from China, and ensuring uniform and timely disbursement of subsidy under SMAM to enable farmers to leverage financial assistance better.
- A delay in direct benefit transfer payments also has a cascading effect on manufacturers, impacting mechanisation.
Use of tractors in non-farming activities
- Just as farm mechanisation has to go beyond tractors, we need to look at tractors beyond farming.
- Tractors don’t sit idle. Over 30 per cent usage of tractors today is for non-farm activities, mostly related to construction and transportation.
- It further amplifies their value in the country’s rural economy.
- Developing tractors with features and technologies customised for these tasks can unlock a new avenue for rural employment.
Conclusion: The evolution of the tractor in India is closely linked to the future of sustainable farming — that includes improving productivity and reducing drudgery — while ensuring national food security and even making India the breadbasket of the world.
Editorial 2 : Patience and vigilance
Introduction: The Maldives government’s decision to not renew the 2019 agreement under which India could conduct hydrographic surveys in the former’s territorial waters is unfortunate.
Was Maldives’s decision beneficial for Maldives?
- In the past, Indian vessels have conducted hydrographic surveys in Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Tanzania.
- Male’s decision appears to be a function of domestic politics rather than diplomatic or economic interest.
Present Maldivian government and anti-India actions
- The recently-elected government of President Mohamed Muizzu campaigned on an “India Out” plank.
- In November, it “requested” New Delhi to withdraw its troops from the country.
- Earlier this month, the country’s Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef attended the Indian Ocean Forum organised by China while he skipped the Colombo Security Dialogue that involves India and other Indian Ocean states.
- The Muizzu government’s decision to withdraw from the survey agreement, then, is a signal that Male is not toning down its anti-India stance, despite the recent meeting between Muizzu and PM Modi on the sidelines of the COP28 in Dubai.
Domestic politics in India’s neighbors’ international engagements
- The domestic politics of South Asian countries now have an outsize impact on their external orientation.
- Two factors are particularly salient in this respect.
- First, as the dominant economic and military power in the region, India’s place, role and attitudes — often caricatures of them — make for easy political slogans.
- Second, China’s growing influence in the region — and its willingness and ability to deploy resources — has given many countries a bargaining chip.
- The Maldives and Sri Lanka, for example, have leveraged their geographical advantage to play major powers against each other in an era of renewed geopolitical competition.
- In itself, this is understandable — nations great and small use the hand they are dealt to maximise their interests.
- What is unfortunate in the current scenario is Muizzu government’s sacrificing of long-term common interests for short-term political gains.
Importance of Maldives for India
Strategic Location:
- Maritime Trade: Located near vital shipping lanes, particularly the Sea Lanes of Communication (SLOCs) in the Arabian Sea, the Maldives plays a crucial role in ensuring uninterrupted energy flow to India and other Asian economies. Nearly 50% of India's external trade and 80% of its energy imports pass through these lanes.
- Indian Ocean Security: Control over the Maldives offers strategic influence in the Indian Ocean, bolstering India's position as the region's net security provider. This is especially important with rising Chinese involvement in the region.
Economic Partnership:
- Tourism: India is a major source of tourists for the Maldives, generating significant revenue for the island nation. This contributes to a strong economic partnership between the two countries.
- Development Assistance: India offers developmental assistance to the Maldives in various sectors, including infrastructure, healthcare, and education. This fosters goodwill and strengthens bilateral ties.
Security Cooperation:
- Counterterrorism: Both countries face common security threats like terrorism and piracy. Collaborating on intelligence sharing and maritime security operations plays a vital role in safeguarding shared interests.
- Disaster Management: The Maldives, being vulnerable to natural disasters, relies on India's expertise in disaster relief and preparedness.
Cultural and Regional Ties:
- Shared History: India and the Maldives share a long history and cultural connection, with Buddhism being a significant element in both societies. This fosters a sense of cultural understanding and mutual respect.
- SAARC Membership: Both countries are members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), facilitating regional cooperation and trade.
Way forward for New Delhi
- New Delhi must be both patient and vigilant.
- It enjoys geographical advantages and historically has been close to the islands.
- Just 70 nautical miles away from the Indian coast, the islands face increasing threats from rising sea levels.
- India must be prepared to lend a hand.
- However, New Delhi cannot no longer afford to simply rely on legacy advantages.
- It has to contend with China’s growing interests in the region.
- India must tread the fine line between engagement and interference, doubling down on the former without being seen as doing the latter.
- It must draw red lines vis-a-vis China in the Maldives – on military presence, for example – while acknowledging that every country has nationalist sentiments.
- In essence, Delhi must play the diplomatic game with finesse, as so many rising powers have had to.
Conclusion: In conclusion, we can say that India will need both i.e. patience and vigilance as it engages with the Maldives, where the current political dispensation is trying to distance the country from New Delhi.