Re: Farm policy

[Ari Sitaramayya <ari@Oakland.edu>]

On Sun, 31 May 1998, Rozario wrote:

> specific proposals. It is not helpful for a person to simply throw a
> newspaper clip and then stand aside and say "What's your solution". Nobody
> is waiting for a trickle down effect.Be constructive. Put forward your
> proposal. If the problem is beyond you, then
> say so and seek suggestions from others. 

That is what I did. I am looking for answers to this problem. If the
answers I get here sound reasonable to me, I could do my part for the
resolution of this problem in India, and I could decide whether I should
hang around this group or not.


> 
> With the little information you have given, I make the following
> suggestions
> 
> 1. Make low interest loans available to needy farmers through development
> banks

I see govt (small and intelligent) in this proposal.

> 
> 2. Ban illegel sources of private lending.
> 

Govt again.


> 3. Ensure that no group or company holds a monopoly on fertilisers.
> Encourage competition.

Who will do this?

> 
> 4. Random checks on fertilisers using chemical analysis ie. quality control
> 

And how will this be done?



> 5. Prosecuting and blacklisting companies found faking fertilisers.
> 

Judiciary (govt) here.


> 6. Upgrade the skills of farmers through NGO's.
> 
> 7. Encourage Indian scientists to engineer a  genetically hardier version
> of the cotton plant.
> 

My observation, correct me if I am wrong, is that when it comes to solving
a real problem, all of you see roles for the govt. But when it
comes to general expression of policy in an ideal manifesto, you want a
small but intelligent govt.  I find a contradiction here.

Sitaramayya Ari.