‘Soil here no longer suitable for cotton, time to change with times’

Kishore Tiwari has been taking up the cause of the farmers since several years. Farm suicide in the cotton-district of Yavatmal came into focus due to his persistent efforts of continuously informing the media. After the BJP came into power in Maharashtra, Tiwari was roped in as chief of Vasantrao Naik Shetkari Swavalamban Samiti (VNSSM), a state government think-tank on agriculture.

He feels it is time to reduce dependence on the cotton crop. "The soil here is no longer suitable for cotton," he says.

Though its been grown in the region for generations, "it is time to change with the times", he says.

Excerpts from an interview...

Q. Do you agree that the soil in Vidarbha is not suitable for growing cotton?

A. Yes it is not suitable at all. However, this is the only crop being grown since years. Its not Vidarbha alone, the cotton belt extends up to parts of Marathwada and Madhya Pradesh too. High dependence on chemicals has hampered the fertility of the soil here. Again, Bt cotton is now vulnerable to pink bollworm despite the genetic engineering seeds being available. Then there are pests like white fly. The recent deaths in some parts of Vidarbha were due to spraying of pesticide for dealing with the white fly.

Q. Can the soil health and pest attack be related?

A. No, there is no direct relation but the concern is about the soil health. Cotton has been the mainstay for Vidarbha's farmers on account of being a cash crop. But its not the soil alone, even the market dynamics have changed. The area where cotton is grown has increased world over. This has reduced the demand for cotton grown in Vidarbha. Since more than a decade, the rates have been in the range of Rs4,000 to Rs5,000. This leaves hardly any returns for the farmers, resulting in perpetual agrarian crisis and suicides. Not just the pesticide spray, the entire system is to be blamed for the deaths. But, certainly, poor returns have driven the cotton farmers to suicide.

Q. What else can be the alternative for the region's farmers?

A. Pulses, millets and oilseeds. Pulses are already being grown along with cotton in Vidarbha.

Q. Pulse rates have ruled even below the minimum support price (MSP) this year. In such a case, would be it be a profitable option?

A. Yes, last time there was a problem. The cultivation of pulses should be promoted along with market intervention.

Q. Do you think the new crop will have a suitable market?

A. Yes, there will be a major demand for the pulses grown here. Apart from it, millet can be the right alternative to cotton. This is because it is a minimum investment crop. It is fast emerging as a food crop too. Millet also has industrial uses for making starch as well as cattle feed. There is also major scope in oilseeds as well as coarse grains like jowar.

Q. Why did the farmer not switch from cotton over the years?

A. They have no other know-how. And it was the main cash crop as well.

Q. Do you think it would be easy to convince the farmers to shift?

A. In fact, they have tried often and failed. The government has failed in taking organized steps to replace cotton with any other crop. The programmes have been left half way.