Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Friday 24 November 2023

AGREEMENT WITH KISAN UNIONS ? CONSIDER THESE SUGGESTIONS

 Finally Announced : Agri Infra Fund to APMC

 

 

Context :

 

Govt extends scope of Agri Infra Fund to APMCs, others  /  Business Line  /  9 July 2021

 

 

 

Extract :

 

Ø The Union Cabinet on Thursday modified the provisions of the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund in such a way that the  Rs 1 lakh*crore  fund is NOW OPEN to many more stakeholders in agriculture, including Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees ( APMCs )

 

Ø With the changes, federations of Farmers Producers Organizations ( FPOs ), and Federations of Self Help Groups ( SHGs ) would ALSO be eligible for this credit

 

 

Ø For APMCs, interest subvention for similar loans will be provided for each project of different infrastructure types such as,

#   COLD STORAGE

#   Sorting, Grading and Assaying Units

#   SILOS,

 

 

     Within the same market yard

 

 

Dear Shri Tomarji,

 

 

 

Many thanks for accepting suggestion(though with some modifications), which I made in my following e-mail :

Ø Selling Farm Laws before selling Farm Crops …………………………[ 24 Sept 2020 ]

 

Where I suggested that the Govt tell the Farmer Leaders :

 

“  We will urge companies entering into CONTRACT FARMING agreements with a farmer, to construct on

    the farm premises of that farmer, GRAIN STORAGE SILOS / COLD STORAGE ROOMS , to enable a

   farmer to store his produce for a longer period, without perishing under our harsh climate

   

   We will allow the concerned Companies to set off expenses incurred in constructing these facilities

   towards their CSR obligations

      

ALTERNATIVELY, WE WILL CONSIDER USE OF ALREADY ANNOUNCED AGRI FUND OF RS 1 LAKHXCRORE, FOR THIS PURPOSE

WE HAVE ALSO PROVIDED RS 700 CRORE FOR SETTING UP COLD CHAIN ACROSS THE COUNTRY

  =============================================================

Context :

 

Govt tables amendments to Centre’s farm laws  /  TOI  /  07 July 2021

 

 

Extract :

 

Ø The Central laws had been criticized for making no provision to uphold the MSP.

 

Ø The ( Maharashtra ) State’s amendment on the law governing FARMING CONTRACTS says :

“  Agreements will not be valid unless the price paid is EQUAL TO or HIGHER than MSP “

 

 

However it says :

 

“ Agreements below MSP can be made for two years with the mutual consent of farmers and sponsor, and that for crops without an MSP , agreements will be decided by mutual consent “

 

Ø On the law governing trade in markets outside APMC, the Central Law only requires traders to have a PAN card to begin conducting business. The amendment requires traders to be licensed by a competent authority to protect farmers from being cheated. However traders dealing in fruits, vegetables, spices and condiments are excluded from requiring the licenses since these goods have been removed from the APMC act in Maharashtra

 

 

Dear Shri Tomarji,

 

 

These amendments are a good compromise and hold potential to reach a definitive agreement with the agitating farmer unions

 

 

In this context, I wish to draw your attention to my following earlier e-mail :

 

Ø Selling Farm Laws before selling Farm Crops …………………[ 24 Sept 2020 ]

 

     Where I had suggested as follows :

 

Ø  On the existing Govt portal ( e-NAM ), we will introduce a section called CONTRACT FARMING , 

         where the farmers desirous of entering into contract farming agreements, will submit their full

         details :

         Name / Farm Size / Location of farm / main crops / past yields per acre / no of workers / family

         members engaged / existing loan  liabilities / water availability etc ) crops / past yields per acre  

         / family members engaged

 

Ø Companies on look out for CONTRACT FARMING can search this database ( of course , after due registration with full details of the Company ) and shortlist / select potential farmers and send them their “ Purchase Proposal “ ( by filling in an Online Standard Form ).

Ø  

Ø Central Government would have full access to these contracts entered Online between the parties and ENSURE THAT NO CONTRACT IS ENTERED INTO BELOW THE MSP FOR THE CONCERNED CROP

       No one else can see these contracts but the parties concerned would have a provision to EDIT these

 

 

 With regards,

Hemen Parekh  /  hcp@RecruitGuru.com  /  09 July 2021

 

RELATED  READINGS :

 

Ø Thank You, Shri Tomarji ……………………………………..[ 28 Sept 2020 ]

 

      Extract :

 

Dear Shri Tomarji,

 

Various Farmers Unions have expressed following fears in respect of the FARM LAWS just passed :

 

Ø  The Contract Farming law will make them vulnerable to exploitation by Corporations

 

Ø  If Contract Farming picks up in a BIG WAY, Govt may stop buying at MSP – might even scrap MSP

 

Now, if the CONTRACT FARMING Act carries a clause that no contract can be valid / legal ( not even allowed to be registered on e-NAM portal ) if it is below the MSP ( relevant to the contracted crop ), then the farmers fears will get satisfactorily addressed

 

On top of this, you may want to give assurance following assurance to the farmers :

 

Ø   For the crops which are currently not covered by MSP, we will, in consultation with the Farmers’ Unions

    , come up with MSPs in each case ( for CONTRACT FARMING only ) , over the next 5 years. Such MSPs

     will be 100 % above the COST of PRODUCTION

 

 

Ø   The INPUT COSTS ( for each such crop ) will get determined by  AI technology as described at :

              Influence farmers and win Votes ? ……………………………..[ 04 Feb 2019 ]

 

Ø How about introducing a PLI for agricultural produce ?...............................[ 08 Dec 2020 ]

 

 Extract :

 

Can we come up with a FORMULA ( obviously, to be devised by Farm Experts ) whereby , a farmer gets a certain ( graded ) INCENTIVE for each SLAB of “ Increased output “ , over the BASE OUTPUT for the BASE YEAR ?

 

We already know :

      Ø    Each farmer ( by Aadhar / Jan Dhan a/c / Mobile etc )

      Ø    Farm holding ( hectares ) of each farm

      Ø    Each farmer’s output ( ave of past 3 years )

 

We can take help of NaVIC satellite based technology to automatically compute the yield of each  and every farm , compute the INCENTIVE AMOUNT and automatically transfer ( DBT ) into each farmer’s bank account . Absolutely NO human intervention / no middlemen ( adatiyas ) !

 

By no means, I am suggesting that this mechanism ( to incentivize the farmers to raise the productivity and catch-up with the World ), is meant to replace MSP , which should continue as before

 

Nor would this PLI scheme bind the farmers to sell their produce within and outside of APMC mandis or prevent the Govt to buy it at MSP

 

===============================================================

Ø e-NAM ; reimagined to resolve farmer agitation………………………….[ 10 Dec 2020 ]

 

 

Extract :

 

This kind of  “ SEARCH – DISCOVER – MATCH – ALERT - AGREE “  type of algorithms are to be found on all types of e-commerce portals ( jobs – houses – travel – domestic goods – insurance etc )

 

If millions of farmers get into such a “ Futures Trading “ type of process then employing AI ( Artificial Intelligence ) will help them get BEST PRICES for their FUTURE / PLANNED crops

 

In fact , using some SEARCH feature on e-NAM portal, farmers can even find out which crops are commanding what ( higher ) prices , and WHEN , and then accordingly carry out their CROP ROTATION / future planting

 

Full “HISTORY of TRANSACTIONS “ will be stored and made available to the concerned parties 

 

 

Ø Digital Farming ? …………………………………………………………………………….[ 15 April 2021 ]

 

Dear Readers :

 

On this matter ( reaching a compromise solution with Farmer Unions ), if you have a suggestion to make to our Policy Makers, you can send your e-mail from :

Send E Mail to any Central Govt Minister

DEAR MINISTERS : CONGRATULATIONS : HERE IS YOUR CHALLENGE

 Subject:   DEAR MINISTERS : CONGRATULATIONS : HERE IS YOUR CHALLENGE

 

 

 

 

 

Glad Tidings :  Narendrabhai will be the Top Technocrat

 

 

 

Context :

 

Cabinet rejig: Bid to ensure faster delivery, synergy   /  TNN  /  08 July 2021

 

Extract :

 

The rejig also saw major technology departments being brought under a SINGLE MINISTER.
Jitendra Singh ( 
Science and Technology , Earth Sciences, Space and Atomic Energy / drjitendras@gmail.com ) , to ensure coordination and CONVERGENCE under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s supervision as Singh is MoS in PMO

Other TECHNOLOGY-RELATED ministries have been entrusted to PROFESSIONALS and TECHNOCRATS like Ashwini Vaishnaw ( MEITY, Communications  / av.odisha@sansad.nic.in ).

A former IAS officer of te 1994 batch, an M Tech from IIT-Kanpur as well as an MBA from Wharton, Vaishnaw has been entrusted with the crucial information and technology ministry along with railways

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Related Readings :

 

Cabinet reshuffle: Wharton alum, former-IAS officer Ashwini Vaishnaw is big winner  /  ET  /  08 July 2021

 

Extract :

 

During his stint in corporate world, he served as the Managing Director of  GE Transportation and Vice President of Siemens Locomotive, where he headed Infrastructure Strategy

Vaishnaw quit the corporate world in 2012 and turned entrepreneur , setting up two automotive components units in Gujarat

His work in the LOGISTICS sector while working for GE and Siemens and his forte integrating IT with LOGISTICS and how to FORCE-MULTIPLY, was what has worked in his favour

This is the reason he has been given Railways and IT, where there are possibilities of large-scale integration



 

Rajeev Chandraekhar has finger on the Tech Pulse   /  ET  /  08 July 2021

 

Extract :

 

Chandrasekhar ( Rajeev.c@sansad.nic.in ) is among the earliest MPs to assess the power of Social Media and Tech Platforms and start a public debate about the need to regulate them

Son of an air commodore, Chandrasekhar earned his post graduate degree in Computer Science from the Illinois Institute of Technology, when te subject itself was new, and personal computers were a prized possession

He was on the Intel 80486 design team, and later on the architecture team of the Pentium

In 1994, after returning from the US, he founded BPL Mobile, taking the plunge into a sector that was still in its infancy

Over the next decade or so, he and several other ambitious entrepreneurs pushed for reforms. Tis led to the new telecom policy in 1999

====================================================================

 

MY  TAKE  :

 

Ø  I wish these “ technocrat ministers “ ( Jitendra Prasad / Aashwini Vaishnaw / Rajeev Chandrasekhar ) best of luck, in developing in India ( or acquiring from abroad ), latest technologies which will help major problems facing the  country, as suggested in my following earlier e-mail   :

 

         Need of the hour ? : TEAM ………………………[ 21 April 2017 ]

 

Where I suggested :

 

 

   “    By TEAM , I mean :  Technology Evaluation and Acquisition Minister

 

Whose job description will be :

 

 

Remain constantly on look-out for developing / developed technologies from around the World, evaluate their relevance to India’s myriad problems and acquire the same from the developers ( including patent rights / IP rights, to exploit it / improve upon it )

 

 

Make available these acquired technologies to Indian Companies ( both, in private and in public sectors ) / NGOs / Start-Ups etc , FREE of cost ( conditions apply in respect of production targets / pricing / time to implement / after-sales service etc ! )

 

 

Following are some such technologies “

 

=================================================================

 

In that  4 YEAR old e-mail , I had listed some 12 problems facing our country – along with ,

 

Ø  Brief descriptions  of technologies that could possibly help solve those problems

 

Ø  Sources contact details of inventors ) of technologies that could possibly help solve those problems.

 

No doubt, during the past 4 YEARS,

 

Ø  Some of those 12 problems have been addressed ( partially or fully ) or being addressed

 

Ø  A number of NEW PROBLEMS have arisen that demand another set of technologies

 

I have prepared lists of such NEW PROBLEMS ( along with relevant technological solutions ) and would be happy to send these lists to the ministers, if so desired

 

With regard,

Hemen Parekh / hcp@RecruitGuru.com  /  08 July 2021