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Crop Diversification in the Asia-Pacific region - United Nations in ...

Crop Diversification in the Asia-Pacific region - United Nations in ...

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m<strong>in</strong>imize such losses. The development of l<strong>in</strong>ks with <strong>the</strong> food <strong>in</strong>dustry for productdiversification and value addition to meet <strong>the</strong> demands of <strong>the</strong> chang<strong>in</strong>g society wasrecommended.• Serious concern was expressed of <strong>the</strong> soil fertility depletion, due to cont<strong>in</strong>ued<strong>in</strong>tensive cropp<strong>in</strong>g over long periods of time, which needs to be corrected. The useof organic manures as replenishments through direct application or crop rotationsand <strong>in</strong>sertion of green manure crops and o<strong>the</strong>r food legumes <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> cropp<strong>in</strong>g systemswas recommended.• Due to <strong>the</strong> impend<strong>in</strong>g labour shortages for agriculture, <strong>the</strong> need for mechanization offield and post-harvest operations was noted. Need for mechanization of agriculturaloperations and assessment of <strong>the</strong> mach<strong>in</strong>ery use by <strong>the</strong> agricultural sector ofcountries of <strong>the</strong> <strong>region</strong> was emphasized. In view of limited land, water and laboursupply, <strong>the</strong> need for adoption of emerg<strong>in</strong>g agricultural technologies such as protectedagriculture, organic farm<strong>in</strong>g, Integrated Plant Nutrient System (IPNS) and IntegratedPest Management (IPM) was emphasized. Efficient <strong>in</strong>put supply systems throughmicro-irrigation and fertigation should be encouraged.• The role of <strong>the</strong> private sector <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> development of modern agro-enterprises to<strong>in</strong>fuse capital and technology <strong>in</strong>to diversified cropp<strong>in</strong>g systems for effectivecommercialization for long term susta<strong>in</strong>ability was advocated.• The importance of diversification to value-added export oriented crops wasemphasized. In that context, <strong>the</strong> need to study market<strong>in</strong>g opportunities and productstandards required by import<strong>in</strong>g countries, as well as price fluctuations,competitiveness etc., prior to embark<strong>in</strong>g on diversification, was highlighted.Fur<strong>the</strong>rmore, <strong>the</strong> availability of market <strong>in</strong>formation was considered essential foridentify<strong>in</strong>g promis<strong>in</strong>g external markets. In general, <strong>the</strong>re is no po<strong>in</strong>t <strong>in</strong> diversify<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>to a crop for which market potential is limited.• Individual countries have developed policies, strategies and implement<strong>in</strong>gmechanisms for crop diversification. These <strong>in</strong>clude <strong>in</strong>frastructure development(transport, communication and markets), pric<strong>in</strong>g policies, subsidies, <strong>in</strong>suranceschemes, tax, tariff etc., <strong>in</strong> order to m<strong>in</strong>imize risks and safeguard <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>terests ofagricultural entrepreneurs. As <strong>the</strong> strategies adopted by different countries are<strong>in</strong>novative and diverse, shar<strong>in</strong>g of such <strong>in</strong>formation will benefit <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r countriesto stabilize and susta<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir crop diversification <strong>in</strong>itiatives.• The governments role <strong>in</strong> recogniz<strong>in</strong>g farmers participation <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> total process ofcrop diversification, provision of <strong>in</strong>formation on new crop varieties, technologies tobe used, potential yields, market<strong>in</strong>g avenues and <strong>in</strong>comes to be realized was essentialfor <strong>the</strong> development of successful crop diversification programmes. The need forskill development and capacity build<strong>in</strong>g and documentation of required <strong>in</strong>formationthrough <strong>the</strong> production of field manuals, extension leaflets etc., for use by <strong>the</strong>entrepreneurs was also considered essential.• Significant changes are tak<strong>in</strong>g place <strong>in</strong> domestic and <strong>in</strong>ternational demand for cropproducts due to improvement <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>come, better standard of liv<strong>in</strong>g, and chang<strong>in</strong>g lifestyles and preference patterns such as improved horticultural and livestock products.175

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