Q. Evaluate how agroforestry can be a potential solution for improving agricultural productivity and efficiency. Suggest measures to promote agroforestry in India. (Answer in  150 words)

03 Oct, 2022 GS III Daily Answer Writing 2022-23 ( Upgrade)
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Agroforestry is defined as a land use system integrating trees and shrubs with crops and livestock to enhance productivity, profitability, diversity and ecosystem sustainability.

 Agroforestry as a Solution for agricultural productivity: 

  • Integrated resource use:g. Animal waste & biomass from trees as natural ‘green manure’ crops.
  • Improved soil nutrition through planting of nitrogen-fixing woody trees species between for rows of crops.
  • Diversified cropping: Fruit, nuts or timber can provide an alternative income stream if the main crop fails.
  • Protection of high-value specialty crops under forest canopy for eg. Mushrooms, coffee, turmeric etc.
  • Increased resilience: g. Practices like windbreaks and alley cropping shield plants from high winds.
  • Improved incomes: poplar based agroforestry (Rs 3,60,000) vs rice-system (Rs 1,60,000) è can further be invested in increasing productivity.

Solution for Efficiency:

 Land use Efficiency: Same land being used for multiple purposes.

  1. Water use Efficiency: reduced runoff and increased infiltration.
  2. Reduced need for inputs like fertilisers from outside.
  3. Economic efficiency: Access to food, fuelwood, fodder, fertilizer and timber èimproved farm incomes.
  4. Recycling of waste material for eg. to generate biomass based energy.

Other Benefits of Agro-forestry: food security, rural prosperity, carbon sequestration, ecosystem restoration etc.

Challenges

  • Knowledge & technology intensive
  • Long gestation period
  • Financial constraints
  • Small, fragmented fields

Measures to promote agroforestry: 

  1. Institutional measure: Establish National institution as recommended by National agroforestry policy, 2014.
  2. Incentivise farmers: access to quality planting material, institutional credit, market using ICT tools like e-NAM.
  3. Simplify procedures: related to harvesting and transit. Eg. Easing inter-state movement of forest produce.
  4. Bring Convergence: between programmes like MGNREGA, IWMP etc.
  5. Research, extension and capacity building: through ICAR, Krishi vigyan kendras, Kisan Radio etc.
  6. Strengthen Industrial links: mandatory sourcing. Eg- 65% of industrial timber is sourced from agroforestry. 

A value chain approach needs to be undertaken to expand agroforestry and make agriculture systems profitable and sustainable, as emphasised by Ashok Dalwai committee.

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