Interventions and strategies to reduce
cost of cultivation in
farming through better input management
Group IV
Background
• Aim to double income of farmers.
• Need to reduce cost of cultivation.
• To increase net income from each unit of farm.
• Secure farmers against unpredictable
nature of agriculture.
Interventions to reduce cost of cultivation
• Reduce expenditure on Farm Inputs.
(a) Seed
i- use of certified seed of improved verities once in three years.
ii – Production of seed through FPOs/
FPCs/Farmer’s groups/NGOs - MH/AP
iii- Adoption of agronomic practices to save seed.
e.g. cultivation of pulses / oilseeds on raised beds using BBF planters, dibbling of rice on raised bed (SRT), SRI and mechanical
transplanting.
Interventions to reduce cost of cultivation
• Reduce expenditure on Farm Inputs.
(b) Fertilizer
i- Judicious use of fertilizers based on Soil Health Card recommendations .
ii – Use of neem coated urea in place of plain urea.
iii- Use of Phosphorus Solubilising Bacteria (PSB) to release P from soil.
iv- Adoption of fertilizer application techniques to save fertilizer. e.g.
Urea+DAP brickets, BBF Planter / Seed cum Fertilizer Drill.
v- use of bio-fertilizers and organic manure to reduce quantity of chemical fertilizers.
vi- Promoting farmers to prepare organic manure from farm waste.
Interventions to reduce cost of cultivation
• Reduce expenditure on Farm Inputs.
(c) Pesticides
i- Implement pest and disease surveillance practices effectively
ii – Improvement in delivery of crop advisories related to pest /disease management
iii- Use of chemical pesticides as per label claim only
iv- Adoption of spraying techniques to enhance efficacy of pesticides.
v- Adoption of seed treatment practices to prevent soil borne diseases
vi- Use of biopesticides till the pest population is below ETL.
Interventions to reduce cost of cultivation
• Reduce expenditure on Farm Inputs.
(d) Water (More Crop per Drop)
i- Adoption of in situ soil moisture conservation methods
ii – Use of micro-irrigation methods to save water iii- Adoption of agronomic practices to conserve
soil moisture and water applied to fields e.g.
mulching of farm waste / plastic mulching.
iv- Use of Hydroponics Technique for green fodder production
Interventions to reduce cost of cultivation
• Better credit management
i- Timely credit availability to farmers before crop season
ii – Credit availability to small and marginal farmers on priority basis
iii- Mobilize farmers’ groups for credit management iv- 3% interest subvention given by GOI in terms
of short term loan – states may replicate it with additional assistance to SMF
Reduction in Labour Costs
• Use of improved tools and farm machineries for every farm operation e.g. End to End
mechanization of rice using power tiller,
transplanter ,conoweeder, reaper and thresher
• Mechanization reduces 25-50% of labour cost with increase in crop yield
• Promotion of Custom Hiring services to reduce burden on machinery procurement
• Use of weedicides
Reduction in Farm Risk
• Adoption of intercropping systems to reduce risk to main crops due to natural factors like dry spell / moisture stress
• Implementation of contingency crop plans
• Buffer stocking of inputs
• Promotion of PMFBY
• Diversification and integrated farming system
• Procurement of farm inputs through FPOs/FPCs/Farmers’ groups
• Establishment of Agri-junctions - UP
