THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF AGRICU TURAL ECONOMICS (Organ of the Indian Society of Agricultural Economics) Vol. VII. MARCH 1952 No. CONFERENCE NUMBER )e/PROCEE DINGS of the TWELFTH CONFERENCE held at Gwalior, November 1951 _‘ SUBJECTS 1. Problems in Calculating Cost of Cultivation. 2. Objects and Methods of Crop Planning. 3. India's Foreign Trade in Agricultural Commodities. Rs. 6-8 CONTENTS. PAGE Welcome Address—Sum K. B. LALL, I.C.S. — •. • • .• • • 1 Inaugural Address—Hon'ble SHRI TAKHTMAL JAIN .. • • • • • • 4 Presidential Address—SHRI R. K. PATIL • • • • • • •. • • 7 Problems of Calculating the cost of Cultivation (1) T. G. SHIRNAME • • • • • • • • • • •. .• • • 23 (2) V. G. PANSE .. •. • • • • • • • • • • .• • • 36 (3) J. K. PANDE .. • • .• • • • • .• • • • • • • 41 (4) P. N. DRIVER. • • .• • • • • • • •. 55 (5) K. M. SHAH .. •. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 63 (6) G. D. AGRAWAL •. •. .• • • • • • • • • • • 73 (7) ARJAN SINGH .. •. • • • • • • .• •. •. 79 (8) Y. SANKARASITBRAMANIAM •. .• • • • • .• • • • • 87 (9) S. G. MADMAN • • • • •. •. • • • • • • • • 94 The Objects and Methods of Crop Planning (1) TARLOK SINGH • • • • •. • • • • • • 100 (2) R. L. SETHI .. • • •. •. •. • • • • •. • • 105 (3) K. G. SIVASAVAMY •. • • • • • • • • • • • • •. 112 (4) J. S. GULERI .. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 126 (5) M. B. DESAI .. • • •. • • • • •. • • • • 132 (6) M. SRINIVASAN • • • • • • .• • • .• • • • • 140 India's Foreign Trade in Agricultural Commodities (I) R. N. PAD VAL •. • • • • • • • • •. • • • • 142 (2) C. W. B. ZA CHARIAS • • • • • • • • •. • • • • 149 (3) M. A. KULTALINGAM PILL AI • • • • • • • • • • 154 (4) C. IL SHAH . • • • • .• • • • • • • • • • • 167 Appendices PREFACE GB This issue of the Journal is a record of the proceedings of the Twelfth 1 Annual Conference of the Society held in November 1951, at Gwalior, 4 Madhya Bharat. In addition to the delegates from the Universities, the 7 Central and State Governments sent their representatives to the Con- ference. The papers read at the Conference were of a high quality and the presence in the gathering of educationists, research students and Persons who had a live contact with the problems of our agricultural eco- 23 nomy, either as administrators or policy makers, contributed much to the 36 level of discussions. 41 55 I had observed in my preface to the Lucknow Conference Number 63 (1950) that the reason for the growing interest in our Annual Conference 73 is mainly the selection of subjects for discussion, which have not merely 79 theoretical and academic value but also have a practical bearing on some 87 of the vital problems that affect our present agricultural economy. Our 94 Papers are usually based on field ,studies. The subjects discussed viz. "Calculation of Costs of Cultivation", "Crop Planning" and "Foreign Trade in Agricultural Commodities" have all an immediate relevance in their practical application to any plan of integrated agricutural develop- 100 ment in the country. 105 112 We are endeavouring to prepare a comprehensive note on the pro- 126 blem of calculating cost of cultivation in Agriculture based on the Papers 132 submitted at the Conference and the discussion which followed. This 140 note is expected to be ready within a month and we shall circulate the same to members. We wish to take this opportunity of thanking the Government of 142 Madhya Bharat, who acted as the hosts of the Conference and who by 149 their excellant arrangements made it a complete ,success. We must parti- 151 cularly express our grateful thanks to H. H. the Maharaja of Gwalior, 167 the Raj Pramukh, Shri Takhtamal Jain, the Chief Minister of Madhya Bharat, Shri K. B. Lall, the Chief Secretary of the State, Dr. L. C. Jain, the Economic Adviser and Development Commissioner, Madhya Bharat, and the members of the Reception Committee for their generous hospitality. MANILAL B. NANAVATI President. Bombay, 15th February 1952. INAUGURAL ADDRESS by Hon'ble Shri Takhtmal Jain, Chief Minister, Madhya Bharat Sir Manilal Nanavati, Mr. Patil, Ladies and Gentlemen, I consider it a great privilege to be asked to inaugurate the 12th Session of the All-India Agricultural Economic Conference. You are indeed an All-India Agricultural Planning Conference and it is but right that for planning prosperity you have come to the very heart of India that is Madhya Bharat. The very first problem which faces us today arises from the fact that our national economy has been ruined by long years of the domina- tion of foreign Imperialism, War and the evil consequences of recent Partition. Thus before we go forward, we have intensively to rehabili- tate and prepare ourselves for any advance and in doing so the most outstanding questions are connected with Agriculture. The Planning Commission has rendered a very useful service to the Nation inasmuch as it has studied the problem and suggested certain solutions in a scien- tific manner. The Commission does not claim that they are the best solutions, it offers them as a basis for discussion and invites the agri- cultural economists as well as others to suggest what would be best in the prevailing circumstances of India. You are all aware of the evils which had crept into our rural eco- nomy before our Independence. The basic evil was lack of security in tenures. The landlords had been suppressing the peasants, while the latter were unable to utilise even the limited security that was available to them. The ,solution suggested out of the difficulty was the removal of the landlords as the middlemen. When the Congress Government assumed office in 1937, certain land reforms were effected. In Madhya Bharat also such reforms have been introduced recently. It is a matter of great gratification that there are to be no tenants-at-will and with the abolition of Zamindari, direct contact has been established between the tenants and the Government. The Jagirdari Abolition Act has also been passed and it is going to be im- plemented before long. In Madhya Bharat even the sub-tenants can get occupancy rights under specified conditions. In order to prevent concentration of land in a few hands, the ceiling has been fixed, and at the ,same time consolidation of holdings has been encouraged and there is restriction on fragmentation of holdings. Thus so far as rights in land go, enough has been done here as elsewhere to make them secure for the cultivators. In spite of all this, however, experience has shown that cultivators are not taking to the methods of increasing agricultural production. There can be only two reasons for this state of affairs. Either the cultivators lack confidence in those who advocate such methods or the methods themselves are wanting in some thing. Whatever the reason, the fact is there that full success has not attended the efforts made for increasing our productions INAUGURAL ADDRESS Time is a valuable factor in the progress of a Nation and I believe that, if something substantial is not done in a short period, we are doomed to ruin. How to bring about the desired change deserves your attention and it is for you, ladies and gentlemen, to ,show the way out. Some spade work has been done in Madhya Bharat with a view to Providing or stimulating the incentive for increasing agricultural pro- duction in the State. For instance, under the Madhya Bharat Panchayat Act, elections have been recently completed and 4,000 Panchayats have been formed. In respect of agricultural production Madhya Bharat is first among the Part 'B' States to take up intensive cultivation in three selected areas, viz., Harsi, Bhilsa and Nimar (Rajpur Tahsil). It is pro 12th Posed to take the Conference to one of these intensive cultivation blocks during its deliberations, L are so as to get your valuable suggestions. Land right reclamation by Central Tractor Organisation has been launched in Bhilsa India district and out of 10 lakh acres to be reclaimed throughout India 2 lakh acres are to be reclaimed in Madhya Bharat. There is also the scheme of ravine reclamation in Bhind. Apart from fact State enterprise, in the Private sector also, ,some big cultivators have shown what can be achieved nina- from economies of large scale cultivation. The Gwalior Dairy and Agri- ecent cultural Farm and the Dabra Sugarcane Farm are abili- two good examples of such private efforts, and arrangements have been made to take the most delegates to both these places. ming much As regards agricultural credit the Bank of Indore has set an excel- lent example among 3cien- joint stock banks in going far into the interior and best taking a valuable hand in financing agricultural and trade operations. The agri- scheme for\ the establishment of Provincial Co-operative Apex Bank has been st in drawn up with the approval of the Reserve Bank of India and is now under way. The Marketing Act on the lines of Bombay has been Passed, although in the former Gwalior and Indore States regulated 1 eco- markets were already in existence, even before they .!urity were introduced in . some of the Part 'A' States. For co-operation an expert committee has Le the been formed to study and review the whole position, while rural indus- ilable tries—there are 125 in existence—constitute a speciality of noval the State. In ,social service too Madhya Bharat is not far behind, as instanced by the work which is being done in Pohri (Shivpuri District) and Dudhia land (Indore District). As for agricultural education it is a pity been that real agriculturists have not yet come out of our agricultural colleges and 7e are schools and their products do not at present possess mtact the qualifications necessary to meet our requirements. The present methods of teaching The Agriculture all over India need in my opinion thorough review and change. s can 'event Three agricultural experiment stations have been working in Gwalior, Shivpuri and Indore and being one of the most important aid at cotton there belts Madhya Bharat has also the Institute of Plant Industry in Indore.