I will not go into the details of the agricultural production during the first two years of the Tenth, Plan, but I will refer to some other salient features. The increase in agricultural production is achieved by a number of schemes including major and medium irrigation, minor irrigation, fertilisers and manures, improved seeds, land development and improved agricultural practices. It is true that, so far as major and medium irrigation works are concerned, we have developed a huge potential but we have not been able to utilise it. We feel very unhappy that large amounts of money should have been spent on the construction of dams and reservoirs but the water was not being utilised. This question was very carefully examined by the Irrigation and Power Ministry and the Planning Commission. The Irrigation and Power Ministry, which is in administrative charge of the major and medium irrigation schemes, found that the failure to utilise the irrigation potential was due either to the failure to construct main channels or field channels or the lack of incentive for the cultivators to change over from dry to wet farming or for want of training in proper cropping patterns. Action has been taken to provide conditions for the utilisation of this potential and the Planning Commission has agreed to divert some thirty or so Crores of rupees during the rest of the Plan period for the fuller utilisation of this irrigation potential. In the Community Development areas, the Community Development Ministry has been made responsible for the construction of the field channels and for propagating cropping patterns. In the non Community Development areas, the State Governments have been charged with the responsibility for utilizing this potential. In fact, I feel very unhappy that this potential should not have been properly utilised. Now, so far as minor irrigation works are concerned, they have done well and during the first two years, they have fulfilled their targets. Improved seed is another important item in the development of agricultural production. There is a little misunderstanding about the seed farms. The scheme of the seed farms is that in each of the Community Development Blocks and the shadow Blocks, a nucleus seed farm of 25 acres will be set up. This will produce foundation seed. The foundation see will have to pass through the registered growers in the first year as well as in the second year. Fertilisers have played a very important role in agricultural production all over the world. Our consumption of fertilisers is very small compared to the progressive countries, it is very low compared to Japan; it is very low compared to China and it is very low compared to the United States of America. Now, Sir, this is a limiting factor, Unfortunately, in the beginning of the Plan, we did not fully realise the importance of fertilisers. We should have planned more of factories and we should have been producing more of fertilisers. In any event, during the period of the shortfall, we should have found more money for the import of fertilisers, but unfortunately, our foreign exchnage position being what it is, I am not sure, to what extent, we shall be able to meet the requirements of fertilisers and this is going to be a limiting factor in our future agricultural production. I will not go into the details of the agricultural production during the first two years of the Tenth, Plan, but I will refer to some other salient features. The increase in agricultural production is achieved by a number of schemes including major and medium irrigation, minor irrigation, fertilisers and manures, improved seeds, land development and improved agricultural practices. It is true that, so far as major and medium irrigation works are concerned, we have developed a huge potential but we have not been able to utilise it. We feel very unhappy that large amounts of money should have been spent on the construction of dams and reservoirs but the water was not being utilised. This question was very carefully examined by the Irrigation and Power Ministry and the Planning Commission. The Irrigation and Power Ministry, which is in administrative charge of the major and medium irrigation schemes, found that the failure to utilise the irrigation potential was due either to the failure to construct main channels or field channels or the lack of incentive for the cultivators to change over from dry to wet farming or for want of training in proper cropping patterns. Action has been taken to provide conditions for the utilisation of this potential and the Planning Commission has agreed to divert some thirty or so Crores of rupees during the rest of the Plan period for the fuller utilisation of this irrigation potential. In the Community Development areas, the Community Development Ministry has been made responsible for the construction of the field channels and for propagating cropping patterns. In the non Community Development areas, the State Governments have been charged with the responsibility for utilizing this potential. In fact, I feel very unhappy that this potential should not have been properly utilised. Now, so far as minor irrigation works are concerned, they have done well and during the first two years, they have fulfilled their targets. Improved seed is another important item in the development of agricultural production. There is a little misunderstanding about the seed farms. The scheme of the seed farms is that in each of the Community Development Blocks and the shadow Blocks, a nucleus seed farm of 25 acres will be set up. This will produce foundation seed. The foundation see will have to pass through the registered growers in the first year as well as in the second year. Fertilisers have played a very important role in agricultural production all over the world. Our consumption of fertilisers is very small compared to the progressive countries, it is very low compared to Japan; it is very low compared to China and it is very low compared to the United States of America. Now, Sir, this is a limiting factor, Unfortunately, in the beginning of the Plan, we did not fully realise the importance of fertilisers. We should have planned more of factories and we should have been producing more of fertilisers. In any event, during the period of the shortfall, we should have found more money for the import of fertilisers, but unfortunately, our foreign exchnage position being what it is, I am not sure, to what extent, we shall be able to meet the requirements of fertilisers and this is going to be a limiting factor in our future agricultural production. Submit