He may mean the proliferation of tube wells, which has brought up a bunch of arsenic laced water in Bangladesh. Other than that, I would draw a blank.
On Sun, Sep 08, 2002 at 01:56:11PM -0700, ken hanly wrote: > What is this supposed drought resistant farming in the US model. There are > certain practices that can conserve water etc. but I have never heard of a > system that is immune from droughts. As the article shows the US (and parts > of Canada) are experiencing some of the worst drought conditions ever. The > article says nothing about what these methods are. Where are the documents > where the US makes any such claims? The most that can be done is to > alleviate drought conditions to some extent. Plains farming has always been > Next Year Country. That is a favorite term of Saskachewan farmers for their > country. Years of drought, hoppers, disease, but there is always next year. > Stoicism and government support are what make Canadian prairie farming > drought resistant. > > Cheers, Ken Hanly > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Louis Proyect" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Wednesday, September 04, 2002 5:26 AM > Subject: [PEN-L:30024] Indian questions hi-tech agriculture > > > > INDIAN FOOD AND TRADE ANALYST > > QUESTIONS U.S "PRECISION FARMING" AND > > "EFFICACY OF THE AMERICAN MODEL OF FARMING" > > > > DEVINDER SHARMA: There isn't a time when an educated Indian doesn't search > > for answers from "America --- the dream land" for the problems that crop > up > > time and again back home. Whether it is hunger, sustainable agriculture, > > kick-starting industrial growth, food habits, music, and of course the > > successful model of economic growth, India must follow the Americans. > > > > No wonder, the intelligentsia, the economists and the scientists are > always > > desperate for opportunities to travel and return with a bag full of > answers > > to our multitude of problems. > > > > The solutions to India's raging drought --- some call it the worst in > > recent memory --- which haunts and ravages 12 States, too rests in the way > > America has managed its crop lands. After all, the United States has put > > together a drought-mitigation strategy, which has been touted as something > > that India needs to follow immediately. > > > > With hi-tech transformation, American agriculture, we all believe, has > > become insulated from the vagaries of drought. They apply laser, > > information technology and huge machines to crop farm land. They use > > satellite data, electronics and now genetic engineering for what is > > popularly called "precision farming." > > > > For Indian agriculture, with its fragmented land holdings, subsistence > > farming methods, poor productivity and the exploitation of the natural > > resource base as a consequence have cast serious doubts over the > > sustainability and viability of the farms. > > > > The only escape for the country, we are invariably told by agricultural > > scientists, is to follow the American model. Such an approach will provide > > an impeccable drought proofing. And it is primarily for this reason, > > corporate agriculture is being pushed as the way out from the crisis that > > afflicts Indian agriculture. > > > > By a strange coincidence, America too is faced at present with its worst > > drought since the days of the great "dust bowl" of the 1930s. As many as > 26 > > of the 50 American States are reeling under a severe drought, with > > "exceptional drought" conditions --- the worst level of drought measured > > --- prevailing in thirteen states, including New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado > > and Utah. > > > > Such is the crop damage that like the drastic reduction expected in rice > > production this year in India, the U.S. wheat production is anticipated to > > fall to its lowest levels in nearly 30 years. There couldn't have > therefore > > been a better time to study America's drought coping mechanisms and > suggest > > its replication in a poor developing country like India and for that > matter > > in South Asia, Africa and Latin America. > > > > It comes as a rude shock. The American agriculture that we all studied in > > the universities and appreciated has crumbled with one year of severe > > drought. The drought proofing that we heard so much about the American > > agriculture appears to be a big farce. It is a known fact that Indian > > agriculture falters because of its complete dependence on monsoons. But > > with the kind of industrialization that took place in American > agriculture, > > and with the amount of investments made, we were always told that the U.S. > > agriculture is not dependent upon rains. > > > > "Precision farming" is the most-efficient farming method that needs to be > > adopted on a mass scale. At first impression, news reports appearing in > the > > American media looks like emanating from a drought-stricken village in > > India's hinterland. Till of course you see the dateline. You continue to > > read in utter disbelief. > > > > About 100 desperate farmers and rural residents praying for rain at the > St. > > Patrick parish church in Grand Rapids, Ohio. With hands clasped and eyes > > cast downward, they seek divine intervention. "None of us have control > over > > whether it is going to rain or not," said Sister Christine Pratt, rural > > life director for the Catholic Diocese of nearby Toledo told Reuters, the > > wire agency. "But the people are praying for one another and there is some > > hope." > > > > Another report in the Washington Post states President George Bush was > > unwilling to extend anymore finances under drought relief than the support > > that can come from $180 billion farm bill he signed in May. The president > > however underscored his commitment to helping farmers under current > > programs, including the Agriculture Department's decision that provides > > $150 million in surplus milk --- "spoiled milk," as Democrats called > it --- > > to be made available for use in animal feed in four drought-stricken > > states, including South Dakota. > > > > Cattle are dying and crops are shrivelling. Fodder has become scarce, and > > therefore the need to feed surplus "milk" instead. There is a scramble for > > new water sources as town and city residents are urged to stop watering > > lawns and washing cars. In heat-baked fields ranchers have sold off herds > > rather than let them starve for lack of pasture. > > > > "I have never seen it like this and I'm 60 years old," said Richard > > Traylor, who owns 37,000 acres in Texas and New Mexico but has sold off > > much of his cattle herd. Serious hydrological problems with wells and > > reservoirs have emerged. Streams have gone dry. The groundwater table has > > fallen drastically. > > > > Wildfires have become more rampant, and an estimated 4.6 million acres, > has > > been scorched this year, twice the average acreage burnt in the previous > > decade. "It is pretty dire," said Mark Svoboda, climatologist for the > > National Drought Mitigation Center. From southern California to South > > Carolina and from Montana to New Mexico, individuals and industries are > > suffering, the news agency reports. In India, the total drought relief > > demanded by the affected States is around Rs 30,000 crore. In America, the > > drought relief being sought is in the range of US $ 5 billion. > > > > In India, the government still hasn't banned watering of lawns. But in > > Monticello, Georgia, south of Atlanta, all outside watering has been > > banned, because creek levels were so low that the area could run out of > > water in 30 to 45 days. > > > > And like the loss estimates being worked out by the Indian Ministry of > > Agriculture, the national estimates for drought-related losses are also > > being prepared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture waiting for > harvesting > > of corn and soybean and other key crops to conclude before loss figures > are > > compiled. Where are the genetically modified crops that one thought would > > be hardy enough to withstand the impact of the acute dry conditions? > > > > Lack of rain is the obvious factor for the prevailing drought in both > India > > and America. But let us not forget that while India receives almost its > > entire rain in 100 hours during the monsoon season, it continues to rain > > intermittently in America. And still, water shortages are prompting battle > s > > between "upstream and downstream states and between individuals and > > businesses in Dodge City, Kansas." In Jasper County, South Carolina, a > drop > > in an underground aquifer left households without water. > > > > Rural residents, like In India, blamed business operators for using too > > much water. And as if this is not enough, North and South Carolina are > > fighting over North Carolina's refusal to release water from its > reservoirs > > downstream. > > > > In Colorado, Denver's water reservoir has already hit a historic low. > > Colorado Gov. Bill Owens has approved a $1 million emergency drought fund > > so that farmers and ranchers can buy water. "People are battling for water > > like we've never seen before," said Hope Mizzell, South Carolina's drought > > program coordinator. Like Rajasthan in India, which is faced with its > > fourth consecutive year of drought, some areas in America are also > > experiencing their fifth consecutive year of drought. > > > > The conditions are near those seen during the country's most devastating > > drought in the 1930s --- the "dust bowl" years, when some 60% of the > United > > States was affected, media reports. Isn't it the same situation that India > > is also passing through? After all, if a severe drought some 70 years > after > > the 1930 "dust bowl" years still results in such a massive devastation, > > isn't it time to question the efficacy of the American model of farming? > > > > Isn't it a fact that the hi-tech American agriculture remains as > vulnerable > > to dry weather as the subsistence farming systems that prevails in India? > > > > Why then should India follow a faulty agriculture and farming system? It > is > > time India realizes that it has to develop its own low-cost farming > > strategies suiting the needs of the country. It is time Indian > agricultural > > scientists looked inwards for building up a farming system that meets the > > nation's requirements and also addresses problems of sustainability. It is > > time the developing countries realized the mistake of replicating a faulty > > agricultural system that will further exacerbate the economic crisis > > considering the massive investments required. Blindly aping the industrial > > farming system would only push the developing countries into a hitherto > > unforeseen crisis, much severe than the recurring drought. > > > > Devinder Sharma is a New Delhi, India-based food and trade policy analyst > > > > ==== > > > > From The > > AGRIBUSINESS > > EXAMINER > > September 4, 2002 #186 > > Monitoring Corporate Agribusiness > > From a Public Interest Perspective > > EDITOR\PUBLISHER: A.V. Krebs > > ADDRESS: PO. Box 2201, Everett, Washington 98203-0201 > > E-MAIL: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > WEB SITE: http://www.ea1.com/CARP/ > > TO RECEIVE: Name and e-mail address > > CONTRIBUTION$ WELCOME !!! > > > > > > > > Louis Proyect > > www.marxmail.org > > > -- Michael Perelman Economics Department California State University Chico, CA 95929 Tel. 530-898-5321 E-Mail [EMAIL PROTECTED]
