 |
|
| Kathmandu, Friday February 07, 2003 Magh 24, 2059. |
|
Potential of agriculture neglected in South Asia: HD Report
Post Report
LALITPUR, Feb 6 :
Agriculture, the major source of livelihood for South Asia’s population, as well as
the backbone of the industrial and trading systems, has not been receiving as much policy
attention as the sector deserves, states the South Asia Human Development Report 2002.
The Report further says
that investments in agriculture, by both public and private sectors is inadequate and is
not helping agriculture play an important role in overall growth of the economy. The case
is more apparent in the context of Nepal whose more than 80 percent of the population live
on agriculture.
Agricultural prices,
indirect and implicit taxation, and subsidy policies have led to inefficient resource
allocations. Small farmers and the land-less poor have suffered because of either
inappropriate policies or the inequitable application of good policies. In particular, the
emphasis on macro-economic stabilisation has left the agriculture sector at the mercy of
fiscal deficits, the state the Report prepared by Mahbub ul Haq Human Development Centre,
Pakistan and launched by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), here today.
Since the green
revolution, South Asia has achieved substantial progress in agricultural growth, but this
progress has been neither adequate nor equitable to reduce the region’s huge backlog
of poverty, says the Report.
The report, which
especially focuses on agriculture and rural development, says that recently many South
Asian countries have started undertaking institutional and policy reform, which ensures
long-term development of South Asia.
The excessive use of
Green Revolution technologies has led to substantial loss of arable land and environmental
degradation, including soil erosion, water logging and salinity, the report says, adding
that the irrigation systems and practices are very old and lack efficient use and
maintenance.
"The
Macro-economic framework in many countries of South Asia is not favourable to agriculture
and has not, therefore, led to more rapid socio-economic development", the report
states.
Agriculture continued
to be one of the major sources of employment in South Asia although the percentage of
labour employed in agriculture has witnessed a decline across the region. However, in
Nepal the proportion of labour employed in agriculture actually increased during
1980-1999, reckons the report.
The report presents the
sad aspect of women involved in the agricultural sector. Although women form the vast
majority, over 70 per cent of South Asia’s population, that live in the rural areas,
the number of rural women living in absolute poverty has risen during the 1990s. It is
understood that women are responsible for producing food, they have the least access to
means of production and receive the lowest wages. The case is more apparent in the Nepali
context, the report adds.
In order to enhance
better human development in the region, the Report says that development priorities should
focus on the occupation of the people. "Human development cannot be achieved if
development priorities do not focus on the occupation of the majority of people, which is
farm and non-farm employment in rural areas," says the report.
Similarly, policies for
food security must focus on empowerment of people so that poor people are able to purchase
food. The larger South Asian countries have food stocks well above their requirements, yet
over half a billion people in the region live below the poverty line. Moreover, small
farmers should be focused for the revival of agriculture. The incentives that are being
provided to corporate farming should not be at the expense of the vast majority of the
rural populace, recommends the report.
Earlier, launching the
Report, Dr Shankar Sharma, Vice President of National Planning Commission said that though
Nepal is lagging in some aspects, its growth of human development is 18 per cent, while
the average growth rate in the region is 11 per cent. He said that the performance of
agriculture is the prerequisite for human development as Nepal is an agrarian country.
Dr Henning Karcher,
Resident Representative of UNDP, speaking on the occasion proposed decentralisation,
social mobilisation, agrarian reforms, and financial services and women empowerment for
achieving better human development in Nepal.
Farid Rahman, member,
Governing Board of Mahbub ul Haq Human Development Centre, Pakistan and Dr Hari Krishna
Upadhyaya, Executive chairperson of centre for Environment and Agricultural Policy
Research, Extension and Development (CEAPRED) also expressed their views on the occasion.
al Policy Research, Extension and Development (CEAPRED) also expressed their views on the
occasion.
Other Stories
|
